Demons of the Dungeon
by RB3
Summary: DanMachi Devil Survivor - With the Survivors help, the Hestia Familia finally reaches the bottom of the Dungeon. They'll make Revelations about the shocking truth of Orario's past and the reasons for its present, as well as the Dungeon's existence. Once they learn these secrets, heads won't roll, they'll explode.
1. Chaos 01 - Ascent of the Demon King

Disclaimer:  
DanMachi was created by Fujino Omori. Shin Megami Tensei was created by Atlus. This story uses reference material from them.

 **Demons of the Dungeon  
By: RB3  
Chaos in Orario 1: Ascent of the Demon King**

In the furthest reaches of the multiverse was the Expanse, an endless void which extended infinitely like a vast sea of redness. It was the product of the emotions of countless humans in billions and billions of worlds. It was home to an infinitely large number of demons, born from the mythologies and systems of human belief. In this soupy, crimson chaos, a metal object like a silver cigar passed through. The silver cigar pulsed numerous electromagnetic waves, scanning the chaos for any oddities or unusual activity.

A demon, a starfish-like creature with a single eye, swam through this crimson sea en route to an unknown world. An eddy formed and swallowed the starfish, disappearing as quickly as it came. The silver cigar immediately changed course and approached the former location of the vanished eddy. It remained, trying to scan the area for any clues as to what might have created that eddy. Moments later, one eddy, then another two, formed and disappeared as quickly as they came.

The silver cigar, a probe, remained in the area to monitor. The image of a disc-like galaxy appeared in the chaos, as though it was behind a translucent film. It appeared to be the source of these eddies. A floating mass of land approached, drawn to these eddies. It was an island which traversed the crimson chaos like a ship. On the top of this island stood a single stone ziggurat. Near the temple were several small, tent-like structures around its base.

While the ziggurat was of ancient, Babylonian construction, the tents were modern, less permanent structures. Numerous soldiers and demons milled about the island's surface, protected from the ravages of the Expanse by a protective blue barrier. Inside the temple was a young man in a blue, hooded jacked and a white cap. He monitored the readings from the probe on a computer. His name was Atsuro Kihara, a technological wizard.

His friend, a young man dressed in a black cloak, approached. "What did you find?" asked the cloaked young man.

"Someone was summoning demons in this area. A Decarabia answered the summons," replied Atsuro. "Whoever's doing it, they're doing a bad job. They're dragging their world closer to the Expanse. Soon, portals are going to open up all by themselves."

"Which would mean demons would have a route into their world, even if they aren't summoned," replied the man in black, who was named Saemon Ichihara. He was also known as Abel, the King of Bel, a demon overlord in command of a horde of demons.

"Yep, if this keeps up, it's open season," replied Atsuro.

A young woman in glasses moved closer to see. "We can't let that happen!" said the woman, Midori Komaki.

"No, we can't," replied Saemon. "If YHVH or Lucifer start meddling, it will be a mess."

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Some time later, the island stopped near where the eddies were discovered. By now, the region had three permanently open eddies, or portals to the Expanse. Even now, these mysterious demon summoners were trying to call to demons to their world. Two dozen Decarabia went into one of the eddies. Abel, Atsuro, and Midori passed through a portal on the island to pursue the Decarabia. Following them was a brunette girl in a pink top and blue skirt. She was named Yuzu Tanikawa.

On the other side was a vast medieval city built underground, judging from the rock which covered the region like a dome. Despite being underground, plants and trees could grow from the soil. They bathed in the light from crystals which hung overhead. Together, these crystals made up sun and sky for a place which had none. Abel's team stood face to face with the demons on the road. The Decarabia spewed jets of flame at Abel and friends. They scattered and immediately called demons of their own to battle.

One of the Decarabia spewed flame at Midori. She took up a defensive stance. Rather than be incinerated, Midori absorbed the flames. "That won't work," said Midori.

She then hurled a blast of light which knocked back the Decarabia. A small black snowman named Black Frost dropped in from above. Decarabia dove away, letting him to plunge his fist into the ground and crack it. Decarabia sprayed him with flame, but the attack exposed a red barrier and got turned back against its source. As the Decarabia stumbled back from its attack, Midori sent a blast of light after it, fatally searing it. The Decarabia dissolved in a burst of darkness.

Yuzu evaded a jet of fire, then hurled an air blade and sliced the Decarabia in half. She then noticed that some of the demons were fleeing to the south. "They're trying to escape!" cried Yuzu.

"I'm following Yuzu's group. You two finish up here," said Abel.

"Okay, gotcha!" said Midori.

Abel and Yuzu pursued the demons to the edge of town. Yuzu's team split from the group in an attempt to flank the demons. Abel chased the demons to water, where they had nowhere left to run. Yuzu's team appeared beside them, cutting off another avenue of escape. "Nowhere to run," said Abel.

Cornered, the Decarabia spewed fire at the two. Abel raised a barrier of violet light as a defence. He then called in a demon resembling a mass of glowing white orbs. The demon, Yog-Sothoth, rained orbs down upon the Decarabia. Try as they might to escape, several got crushed underneath. The others tried to force through Yuzu's position, only to be cut down by her blades of wind. However, one managed to slip past her and her demons.

A red-haired succubus appeared before it and blasted it with a jet of flame. The Decarabia got knocked to the ground. After it got up, Yuzu's golden, rooster-like demon, Vidofnir, gazed at the Decarabia with eyes glowing grey. The Decarabia turned to stone instantly and fell onto its back. With an air blade, Yuzu shattered it to numerous pieces. "That takes care of that," said Yuzu.

"Yeah, let's regroup with the others," said Abel.

Abel and Yuzu found their friends outside of the city, surrounded by small black smouldering patches of dirt and potholes. "We cleared the demons, but a group of goblins spawned out of the ground and attacked us before you came back," said Atsuro.

"They dropped these glowing purple stones," said Midori, holding them up for her friends to see.

Abel took one of the stones and studied it with a critical eye. Yuzu did the same. "I can feel energy coming from it," remarked Yuzu.

"Yeah," said Abel.

"The comps says these things store the goblins' life force," said Atsuro.

"Let's return to base and think of our next move," said Abel.

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Time passed and the military force had erected a beachhead within the medieval city. The military force was a group of colonists known as the Babelites. They were originally from Japan, and had mastered the ability to summon and command demons by way of handheld devices called comps. This powerful new capability caused a shift in society akin to the Industrial Revolution. As part of its rise, Japan took the lead in exploring and colonizing the Expanse, leading to the construction of Babel Colony after its central tower.

Before Babel Colony's rise, demons had invaded Japan. It was at this time that the comps were created. The invasion was resolved in a week, with Abel taking his place as King of Bel, ruler of the demons. After that, demon technology spread, then came efforts to colonize the Expanse. As the Babelites explored the Expanse, they learned of worlds other than theirs. Such worlds were coveted by the demonic factions of Law and Chaos, who fought an eternal, multiversal struggle for dominance.

The forward base was constructed out of the nearby castle. It was known as Sunstone Castle, following the sign on the city's front entrance, which identified it as Sunstone City. A chainlink fence topped with barbed wire enclosed Sunstone Castle, keeping out intruders. In the town proper, Atsuro operated a computer which scanned the local environment. From the readouts, the cavern was actually the 65th floor of an underground labyrinth of at least 75 floors.

"75?" asked Yuzu.

"Yeah, my scanner can't penetrate F74, so I'm guessing at least one more floor is below it," replied Atsuro. "This place is kind of like those dungeons you see in RPGs."

"Is that so?" asked Abel.

"Uhuh," replied Atsuro. "So, when in Rome, do like the Romans do. We're going to explore the Dungeon!"

"That sounds cool, like we're adventurers!" said Midori.

"That sounds dangerous," said Yuzu.

"Get this, my scanner detects people on the higher floors," said Atsuro.

"People? Like human beings?" asked Yuzu.

"Maybe we can meet them and find out more about their world," said Midori.

"We might alarm them with our presence," warned Abel. "It's best if we approach the demon problem quietly, so as to not cause too much of a disturbance."

"So a stealth mission?" asked Yuzu.

"Yeah, and I think I should do this one solo," replied Abel. "If too many people go, it'll draw too much attention."

"Will you be okay?" asked Yuzu. "You know monsters spawn out of the Dungeon. We don't even know if the people above will be friendly."

"I'll be fine," replied Abel, giving Yuzu a hug. "I'll set up portals back home, so it will be easy for us to move around the Dungeon. You don't need to worry, honey."

Abel's succubus, Scarlet, appeared and embraced Yuzu. "Don't worry, I'll be with Abel darling the whole time. I'll use stealth magic to keep us hidden," said Scarlet.

"I'll be constant contact with him, as well, providing back up," said Atsuro.

"Okay, stay safe," said Yuzu. "Come home safe and sound."

"Yeah, good luck," said Midori.

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After some preparation, Abel began his departure from Sunstone City on F65 of the Dungeon. There was a tunnel upward towards the north of the city, where his friends saw him off. They waved to each other for several seconds before Abel turned and ascended the floor. In F64, he had entered a large, mountainous area. Further in, he saw a mural of a large dragon on a patch of flat rock. The mural gave off a magical aura about it and appeared to be containing the dragon it depicted.

After Yog flew him westward, he came upon a cabin with a series of five graves beside it. From the names on the headstones, they were the graves of the Dragonslayer family. Their members included the parents, two children, and the family pet. Abel continued west and passed a small hallway which turned into the north entrance of a large circular room. A group of black skeletons emerged from the ground. All of these monsters were armed with melee weapons and wore plate armour.

With a wave of his hand, Abel had frozen the skeletons. After a few seconds of crackling, the skeletons shattered violently, scattering ice-coated bone all over the ground. The skeletal remains vanished, leaving magic stones which Abel gathered up through telekinesis. He continued onward through several more circular rooms which resembled the first and found a staircase upwards. He emerged in a large underground cavern of dirt. It appeared to be a burrow for a monster.

A white, rabbit-like creature tunnelled through the wall and stood in front of Abel. The red-eyed creature glared at Abel, brandishing a battle axe. It stood almost twenty feet tall, the largest rabbit he had ever seen. "I take it you're the boss of this area?" asked Abel.

The creature rushed at him, as though it took offence to his comment. Abel teleported away, puzzling the rabbit. He then tore a hole into reality, creating a black void over the rabbit. The rabbit got disintegrated in a bloody haze, each rapidly diminishing piece consumed by the void. "She shouldn't have been so mean to you, darling," said Scarlet telepathically.

Abel continued onward and with every few floors, the environment changed drastically. Eventually, Abel came close to the tunnel to F50. "There are living people here," said Abel, feeling their movements.

"Okay darling, I'll hide you," said Scarlet.

Under Scarlet's power, Abel was shifted out of phase with the physical world. In this space between worlds, everything seemed more translucent and faded. He continued up to F50, passing by a trio of people standing guard by the tunnel entrance. Two were male and the third a female. However, one of the men appeared to have ears like a dog, being a hybrid of that animal and a human. "Looks like we stop here. Only the elite of our Familia can go beyond," said the male warrior.

Abel passed by the girl. "Did you feel a draft?" asked the bespectacled girl.

"Yeah," replied the dog-man. "I hope this is quick. I don't want to catch a cold."

Abel moved to an occupied cliff overlooking F50. There were people camped in this area, all of whom wore clothing ideal for travelling. Nearly all of them had weapons visible on their person. They appeared to be adventurers, people from who delved into the Dungeon to explore it and claim its riches. Abel passed by a flag with a clown-like emblem, the insignia of their group, likely what that guard meant by his "Familia."

"Abel darling, let's get the portal set up," said Scarlet telepathically.

"Right," replied Abel.

He located an area in the south side of F50, far from the eyes of the Familia which occupied the floor. He found a small cave hidden in the midst of a group of rocky outcroppings. In the cave, he had formed a swirling vortex of light, which faded as quickly as it came. F50 was now to linked to Sunstone City on F65 via a pair of portals at each end. With it, he and the rest of the Babelites could come and go as they pleased.

Abel returned to the camp, where he mingled among the people undetected. He found a command tent in the heart of the camp, where a short humanoid being, a Prum, sat upon crates like a lord in purple. Abel focused supernatural senses on the Prum and learned that his name was Finn. With him was a dwarven man and a green-haired, elven woman. "Gareth, you will take Ais, Tione, Tiona, Bete, and Riveria with you," Finn commanded.

"Of course," replied Gareth, the dwarven warrior.

"This will be our last excursion into the deeper floors," said Finn. "After this, we'll head back up to Orario."

The dwarf and elf made their way out of the tent to fetch their companions. Abel left the tent and explored the camp in secret. From eavesdropping on the Familia's chatter, he learned that there was a city known as Orario at the top of the Dungeon, on the ground floor. It acted like a gathering place for adventurers, with living quarters and stores for supplying their operations. There was also a Guild there which managed adventurers and provided them important services.

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Abel continued on his way up the Dungeon. Upon reaching F37, he came upon a large hallway with white walls like the rest of the floor. The ground started to shake, heralding the appearance of a powerful monster. This creature, the black animate skeleton of a devil, emerged from the ground. It was a floating torso, having no legs with which to use for locomotion. Its magic stone was in its rib cage, about where its heart should be. Abel's supernatural senses determined that this creature, Udaeus, was the boss of the area.

Abel sprayed a blast of ice from his hand. Udaeus reared back to strike with its sword, but was caught first by the ice. A glistening, crystalline coating formed over its body. The coating covered it so completely that Udaeus became an ice statue. Abel balled his fist, causing the ice to shatter and Udaeus along with it. The magic stone tumbled to the ground, fortunate to not have been damaged by the impact. Abel secured the stone and continued on his way.

As Abel ascended the Dungeon, he started to see more and more adventurers exploring the upper floors. Since the monsters here were weaker than the ones below, it was natural. Adventurers on the deeper floors were the elite, the cream of the crop. For this last leg, Abel relied on Scarlet's stealth to avoid being seen. On F18, he found another safe zone where no monsters spawned. He went into a small cave hidden behind a plateau, where he established a portal to F65.

Eventually, he reached the surface, where Orario stood. He passed through a reception area of the Dungeon, run by a group of workers in dress clothing. When he got outside, Abel relished the chance to finally see natural light. He returned in phase with the physical world, to see the sights as they naturally were. The city of Orario was dominated by a central tower in a spacious, circular town square, which effectively capped the Dungeon.

"Yuzu, can you hear me?" asked Abel through telepathy.

"Yes," replied Yuzu. "Did you get to the top?"

"Yeah," replied Abel. "I'm going to set up a portal in a hidden area, then I'll complete the last leg of my infiltration."

"Okay, good luck and stay safe," said Yuzu.

He continued on his way to the city's eastern outskirts to search for a suitable location to establish his portal connection. As he moved down the street, he sensed someone's eyes trying to scan him. He turned around and glanced about, from west to east, from the top of the tower to the bottom. Even reaching out with supernatural senses, he could not determine who tried to scan him, or where he or she was.

He continued onward and found a good portal site in an abandoned mine a short ways out of Orario in the hills. Inside the rocky tunnel, he opened a swirling vortex to Sunstone City. For the next phase, Abel created a grey-haired clone of himself. This avatar looked much like his normal self, mixed with some of the traits of his cousin, Naoya. The avatar was dressed in a blue tunic and baggy black pants like those worn by men of the Sengoku period.

Since the avatar looked similar to, but not exactly like Abel, the two could be mistaken for brothers easily. Abel dubbed his avatar Kazuya Minegishi, or Kaz for short. Kaz was linked to his master and could relay any information he discovered during his infiltration. Abel gave Kaz all of the gold bars he was carrying to use as seed money to carry out the infiltration. Kaz left the portal site to Abel and his demons until the land was purchased legitimately.

Kaz continued into the city, following the road down into town from the east. Asking around, he was directed to the main Guild building, a mansion-like structure called the Pantheon. He found a bespectacled, half-elf brunette behind a counter. "Hello, I'm a new adventurer. I wish to register with the Guild," said Kaz.

"Of course, I'm Eina Tulle. I'll be your advisor for your exploration of the Dungeon," said Eina. "Do you have a Familia?"

"Not yet," admitted Kaz.

"Okay, that's fine. For now, I'd stay on the top two floors," replied Eina. "You'll need to join a Familia before you go deeper."

"I understand," replied Kaz.

"Please fill out this form," said Eina.

Kaz took the form and filled it out, writing his personal information in Japanese in the blank spaces. When he returned it to Eina, she had to hand it off to a Far Eastern member of the Guild to translate for her. "Is everything okay?" asked Kaz.

"Yeah, you wrote the form in the language of the Far East, so I had to get help to translate it," said Eina. "Sorry about the wait. Everything's fine, you're good to go."

"Thank you Ms. Tulle," replied Kaz, taking a copy of his completed forms. His form had translations written in brackets by the translator.

"Just call me Eina, no need for such formality," replied Eina. "If you're looking to join a Familia, you might want to ask the Take Mikazuchi Familia. Their members were originally from the Far East."

"Okay, I'll keep that in mind," said Kaz. "For now, I've got to get my affairs in order. I'm new in town, after all."

"Good luck Kaz and happy hunting," said Eina.

Kaz travelled around town looking for an appropriate place to live in, as well as a location he could cash in his bars of gold. He eventually found a local goldsmith's shop, where he sold his gold for almost 100,000 Valis, the local currency, which took the form of gold coins. He then found and rented a nice small apartment near the Market Area, a perfect distance away for making trips to buy needed provisions and gear. After preparing his home, he bought groceries at a local store and stored them in the refrigerator.

Unlike back home, the technology of this land ran on magic stones from the Dungeon, then treated through an unknown process. His fridge had a compartment for such a stone in its back, which powered its cooling capabilities. His home was lit by lamps which used the stones as a light bulb. After cooking and eating a simple dinner of fried beef, rice, and vegetables, Kaz went to the market. He searched out the Market Area for a good deal on equipment for his first trip into the Dungeon.

He purchased a nice blue brigandine and a simple dagger from a local arms vendor. From the nearby provisioner, he bought a few bottles of healing ointment and a bag to carry his provisions and looted magic stones. As he looked at this array of provisions, he felt a sense of eagerness and anticipation. He was about to take on the Dungeon, a dangerous task. He did not know what lay in the future, only that he would face it without fear.

 **END OF CHAPTER**


	2. Chaos 02 - The Spy who Wowed Me

Disclaimer:  
DanMachi was created by Fujino Omori. Shin Megami Tensei was created by Atlus. This story uses reference material from them.

 **Demons of the Dungeon  
By: RB3  
Chaos in Orario 2: The Spy who Wowed Me**

A bright new morning dawned on the city of Orario. Citizens from across the city stirred from their beds to prepare for the start of a new day. Kaz was one such person, getting out of bed, brushing his teeth, and washing his face. He raided the fridge for eggs, ham, and bread. He cracked the eggs over a hot frying pan and cooked them sunny side up. He placed ham and these eggs between two slices of bread and ate it, with milk for his drink, and an apple to balance out the meal.

After cleaning up, he made a final check of his gear and suited up to explore the Dungeon. Several other adventurers were already on their way to the Dungeon like he was. Many had fairly expensive, well-crafted gear which glistened in the morning light. These adventurers were elites who had membership in a well-established, successful Familia who could explore deeper in the Dungeon. Bit by bit, the Guild waved these adventurers into the Dungeon.

Kaz got waved in and simply travelled a loop around the first floor of the Dungeon. Passing through the light blue rock hallways, Kaz encountered monsters spawning from the ground. As soon as the first goblin peeked its head out, he shot it with an ice beam from his fingertips. The second had fully formed and received a head shot with another ice beam. Three more spawned, too many to off one by one, so Kaz sprayed an arc of ice.

"That trick won't work," he said to the frozen solid goblins.

He stabbed each to finish them off, leaving magic stones strewn everywhere. He washed water over the ground, putting all into a single swirling tornado for him to collect. He dumped all of the stones into his bag and walked away a happy adventurer. He continued onward and found a small chamber. As soon as he entered, a series of humanoid monsters with dog-like heads, kobolds, started to spawn from the floor.

Kaz sprayed a jet of icy fog over them. All of them were rendered icy statues instantly. He then reached out with tendrils of violet power, sapping energy from the kobolds. The stolen energy removed his fatigue and restored Kaz to peak fighting form. The kobolds crumbled into ash and left behind their magic stones. Kaz swirled the stones into a watery tornado, but noticed a kobold claw among the jewels. He pocketed this claw to sell back to the Guild as materials for item crafting.

Kaz made a few more loops around the first floor, gathering as many magic stones as his bags could hold. When he had his fill, he returned to the surface. The sun was beginning its dip, late in the afternoon. He cashed his stones and monster parts at the Guild, gaining nearly 20,000 Valis as a result of his trip. "Wow! You got that much in one trip?" asked Eina when she asked about his first foray into the Dungeon.

"Yes, it seems I did," replied Kaz.

"That's almost as much as what a party of five Lv1 adventurers can make in a day," replied Eina. "How did you do it?"

"I used ice magic to defeat the monsters," replied Kaz. "After one hit, everyone gets frozen solid and can't fight back. I can kill them at my leisure."

"Wow, you must have some powerful magic to do that," said Eina. "At the rate you're going, you'll be Lv2 in no time, once you find a Familia that is..."

"Yeah, I'll have to do that soon. For now, I'm going to focus on stable income," said Kaz. "Thanks, I'm going to grab dinner and relax."

"Okay, good luck tomorrow," said Eina.

Kaz was feeling quite good about himself as he returned home. The next day, he worked the second floor of the Dungeon, which had much the same monsters. Kaz encountered a team of three goblins which spawned from the ground. He sprayed all with ice, which froze them solid. He sensed danger and turned to see three more goblins spawning from behind. He sprayed them, getting two, but the third was too far. It closed and Kaz formed ice around his arm to block a swipe. He then plunged the dagger into the monster's skull, killing it.

Kaz gathered his magic stones by washing them into a watery tornado. He continued on his loop around the second floor, expecting staggered spawns. He bumped into four kobolds, who had spawned from the ground and walls. He sprayed them, freezing all solid. He turned around, anticipating an ambush from behind. The three came from the walls, but Kaz froze an ice patch for them to land on. When the kobolds tried to rush him, they slipped on the ice, humorously falling flat on their bottoms.

Kaz directed a drain spell upon them, sucking their vitality and mental energy until they crumbled into ash. Kaz washed the stones together and put them into his bag. After a few more loops of monster slaying, he returned to the surface, where he cashed in his winnings. He had acquired nearly 23,000 Valis this run, more than his previous day's take. "Wow, that's almost as much as a party makes!" said Eina upon hearing of his earnings.

"What can I say? I'm just that good!" said Kaz to brag.

"If you can handle this pace, I think you can manage the next two floors," said Eina. "They have the same monsters, but spawn in larger numbers than before."

"Okay, thank you for the advice," said Kaz. "That's enough for the day. Time to get some food, then turn in and relax."

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More than a month later, Kaz travelled down the streets of Orario in search of local cuisine to sample. He eventually came upon a medium-sized tavern which was called the Hostess of Fertility according to its name plate. It was a two storey stone building flanking the main road leading west from Babel Tower. The facade had carvings of fish and a tomato vine etched into it. The interior was lit by lanterns and had several people seated at tables, drinking and celebrating the night away.

It was a full house, but still had enough room for Kaz at a small table at the far eastern side of the pub. A blonde, elven waitress in a green maid's outfit and apron gave him a menu. She introduced herself as Ryu. Kaz decided to order spaghetti and meatballs. "That's quite a party going on there," remarked Kaz.

"Yeah, a friend of mine just got rescued from the Dungeon," replied Ryu as she jotted down the order.

"Rescued? What happened?" asked Kaz.

"He tried to venture into the 13th floor with his Familia. The monsters were too much for them, and they barely reached safety on F18. His goddess organized a search party to save them," replied Ryu.

"Ah, so mission accomplished and everyone's back home safe and sound," replied Kaz.

"That's right," said Ryu. "One of his party members got promoted to Lv2 from the ordeal."

"Awesome! At least he didn't go home with nothing," said Kaz.

"I haven't seen you around these parts before. Are you new?" asked Ryu.

"Yep," replied Kaz. "I just started out more than a month ago. I'm still a rookie getting his bearings."

"Which Familia do you belong to?" asked Ryu.

"None," replied Kaz. "I haven't joined one yet. I've been too busy getting established to find one."

"I see... We have quite a few Familia in attendance. There's the Hestia, the Loki, and the Take Mikazuchi," said Ryu, looking from left to right at each table occupied by the respective Familia. "Hephaestus and Miach are also here, but not with their Familia. That's just off the top of my head. I'll fetch your meal now."

"Of course," said Kaz.

After Kaz ate his meal, Ryu collected his payment. A young, white-haired boy approached him. "Hi Ryu, who's that?" asked the boy.

"Oh, I'm Kazuya Minegishi, but you can call me Kaz. I came to Orario about a month ago to become an adventurer," replied Kaz.

"So, you're an adventurer like us," replied the boy. "I'm Bell Cranel, nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too, Bell," replied Kaz, shaking Bell's hand.

"Kaz hasn't joined a Familia yet," said Ryu.

"Yeah, I should find one soon," replied Kaz.

"What special talents do you have?" asked Bell.

"I can use ice and water magic. I create and reshape ice and water into different forms. I can also drain energy from my foes," said Kaz.

"Ice magic huh? Can you demonstrate?" asked Bell.

"Sure, see this mug?" asked Kaz, holding up his drinking cup. He then formed an icy copy of the mug in his other hand. "Now there are two!"

Kaz handed the icy copy of the mug to Bell. "Cool! If you'll pardon the pun," said Bell chuckling. "Show me some more!"

"Ryu, can you model for me?" asked Kaz. "Just stand there like that and don't move."

"Sure," replied Ryu.

She remained perfectly still while Kaz held his open palm towards an empty space to her left. Water appeared out of nowhere and started to expand, forming a copy of Ryu's torso, then her head and face, and solidified into ice. More water flowed outward, forming her arms and a copy of the tray in hand. It continued down to the ground, forming her legs and feet. Every few seconds, Kaz would look at Ryu, to compare the statue to her and copy her appearance properly.

By now, a few of the other party guests had come over to watch the tricks Kaz was performing for Ryu and Bell. "Wow, that's quite a trick!" remarked Bell. Kaz animated the Ryu statue, making it put its tray onto the table.

"Bravo!" said a buxom girl with black hair in a white dress.

Bell introduced Kaz to the rest of his friends, including the girl, the goddess Hestia. "You don't have a Familia yet?" asked Hestia. "In that case, I'd be happy to adopt you into my Familia!"

"Out of the way Loli Big Boobs!" said a slender, red-headed woman who injected herself into conversation by pushing Hestia out of the way. "I'm Loki, if you want to join my Familia, I'd be glad to take you!"

"Hey, let go! I saw him first Loki No Boobs!" said Hestia. The two goddesses started shoving and pulling each other to get them out of the way and court Kaz into their Familia.

"If you don't like either of them, you can join my Familia," said a Japanese god dressed in white. "I'm Take Mikazuchi. You're from the Far East, are you not?"

"Yeah, kinda," replied Kaz. "Eina at the Guild suggested your Familia, but I'm not sure. I need to think about this very carefully."

"I understand. Joining any Familia is a big decision. It shouldn't be taken lightly, but do keep me in mind," said Take Mikazuchi.

"I will, thanks," said Kaz.

"Consider my Familia too," said a red-headed woman with an eye patch over her right eye.

"Hephaestus right?" asked Kaz.

"Yes, my Familia supplies the adventurers of Orario with gear," replied Hephaestus.

"I have a Familia too," said a man with long blue hair in robes. "I'm Miach. My Familia brews much of the medicine and ointments in daily use."

"I see... You two are in commerce," replied Kaz. "I don't see how I'd be of use to you, other than as a customer. All I do is go adventuring in the Dungeon."

"We get much of our herbs and minerals from the Dungeon. Many rare ingredients can only be found there," replied Miach. "They are expensive and hard to acquire, so we maintain a team of adventurers that do that for us."

"Ah, I see," replied Kaz. "Being what you are, that means you have the means to equip me for exploration."

"Yeah," replied Hephaestus. "As a blacksmith Familia, we make sure our adventurers have good weapons and armour."

"Both of your offers are very tempting," remarked Kaz. "It's so hard to choose... Do you do open houses?"

"Yes," replied Loki, peeling herself from Hestia. "We can arrange one if you'd like."

"Me too," said Hestia. "We'll set a time and date."

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A few days later, Kaz found himself at the front gates of a massive, castle-like structure at the very north end of Orario. It had numerous towers, ramparts, and windows for lookouts. It resembled a fortress than an actual guild home for the Familia. A guard escorted Kaz into the building. The interior of Loki's Familia house was as luxurious as its exterior. The castle was well kept and maintained by a staff of lower-ranked Familia members. It was known as the Twilight Manor.

The guard led Kaz to the office of Loki, the boss of this outfit. "Hello Kaz, how have ya been doing?" asked Loki.

"Quite well," replied Kaz. "I'm amazed at how big your home is. It's a bit intimidating."

"My Familia is one of the biggest and the best in Orario," replied Loki triumphantly. "You'll find no better Familia! Here is where I update my children's Falna. If you join up, you'll be visiting here a lot. Let's continue the tour."

Loki and her guard escorted Kaz to the Familia bedrooms where her children slept between Dungeon runs. It consisted of a hallway filled with numerous doors to private rooms. There was a split section, one each for the male and female members of the Familia. Further in, each dorm was connected to a shower room for Familia members to clean up. Some of the female members exited their dorms.

"Hi!" said one of the adventurers, a brown-skinned, toned woman with short black hair.

Standing next to her, was her sister, a buxom woman with longer black hair in braids. "Hello, weren't you at the party?"

"Yeah, I'm Kazuya Minegishi. I was performing all those tricks with the ice," replied Kaz.

"Oh! Nice to meet you," said the first woman.

"This is Tiona Hiryute and her older sister Tione," introduced Loki. A pair of elves approached the group. The first was the more mature one, a woman with green hair who wore a light tan cloak. The second was a blonde girl, much younger than the first. "Meet Riveria Ljos Alf and Lefiya Viridis, our elite mages."

"Pleased to meet you," said Kaz.

"It's nice to meet you, Kaz," said Lefiya.

"Nice to meet you too, Lefiya, Riveria," said Kaz.

"I've seen what you can do and I'm impressed. Shaping ice like that must require great technique and control. I don't think I could be capable of that," said Riveria. "You'd be a great asset to the Familia. We'd appreciate it if you would join us," said Riveria.

"I'm still deciding, but thanks," said Kaz.

The last woman to speak was a blonde woman with a sword. "Hi Kaz. I really enjoyed the show you put on for us," said the woman.

"This is Ais Wallenstein," introduced Loki.

"Thanks Ais, but it was a bit impromptu. I was only there for dinner," said Kaz. "I also heard about what happened to your friend. I'm glad he was able to return home safe and sound,"

"Yeah, he was lucky that he found us on F18. He's a bit prone to trouble. I've had to save him a few times myself," said Ais.

With the tour stopped momentarily, the male members of the Familia had time to approach. The first of them was a werewolf-like man, very muscular, who wore his jacket open. The second was a thickset dwarf with a bushy brown beard and a mullet. The last member was the shortest, a blond Prum in violet garb. Kaz remembered these people from his stealthy exploration of their camp on F50 as Abel. He never realized they were such a force in Orario.

"Meet Bete Loga, Gareth Landrock, and Finn Deimne," introduced Loki.

"Pleased to meet you," said Kaz.

"Ah, it's the guy doing the ice tricks," said Bete. "They're cool and all, but that won't get you far in the Dungeon."

"I assure you, I can do more, much more, than that," said Kaz.

"Enough Bete, we're not here to put him down," said Tiona.

"Let's continue the tour," said Loki.

Loki and the guard brought Kaz to see the rest of the Twilight Manor. The Familia home had a large square room for swordplay and unarmed sparring. It also had a large dining room and kitchen for feeding dozens of Familia members. There were libraries for studying various subjects, including magic, and a large reinforced room to practice spells. Kaz could see that Loki's boasts of her Familia's grandeur were not bluffs.

"That was the tour. If you have any questions, feel free to ask," said Loki.

"Thank you for everything, goddess Loki," said Kaz. "I will head out to attend another open house."

Kaz waved to Loki as he passed through the gates of Twilight Manor. Once out, he looked over his itinerary. He was to meet Hestia and her Familia at their home. He travelled down the main western road of Orario and took a right turn to a side road, through an area of Greco-Roman ruins. There, he came upon a dilapidated church. The stained glass windows had been shattered with several shards dangerously jutting into the hole.

The stone walls had cracks and one of the double doors at the front was about ready to fall over. Kaz approached the church and knocked on the still intact door. "Come in!" said Hestia. Kaz walked in. "Oh, hi Kaz! Make yourself at home."

"Hello, how is everybody today?" asked Kaz.

"We're fine, thank you," said Bell.

"Nice to hear that," said Kaz. "Please introduce me to the Familia."

Since Kaz had already met both Hestia and Bell Cranel, their introductions were quick. The next member was a red-haired man dressed in a long black tunic. Hestia introduced this man as Welf Crozzo the blacksmith. "Hi Kaz, I enjoyed watching your tricks at the party," said Welf.

"Glad you enjoyed them. Though, I wasn't expecting to become entertainment for you guys," said Kaz.

Hestia introduced the fourth member of her Familia, a short brunette with small dog ears and tail. "This is Liliruca Arde, our main supporter. She carries all of our supplies into the Dungeon for our Familia."

"Pleased to meet you," said Kaz.

"Are you sure we can trust this guy?" asked Lili.

"Lili! You're one to talk..." replied Hestia.

"He seems cool. He's a new adventurer who came into town. We get that a lot in Orario," said Bell. "Even I was like that at one time."

"This is our Familia home. Only Bell and I live here, but be it ever so humble, there's no place like home," said Hestia. "The congregation area is where we hold meetings. We are a small Familia, but we are growing bit by bit."

"So you are a close knit type of group," said Kaz.

"If you choose to join us, we'll treat you like one of our own," said Bell.

"I admit, that is an appealing thought," said Kaz. "Thank you for the visit and the chance to meet the Familia. I must be going now."

"Okay, take care," said Bell.

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The next day Kaz, returned to the Dungeon to gather magic stones for the day. He circled F4 in search of goblins and kobolds to slay. A group of nine started to spawn, staggered in three sets of three foes each. Kaz sprayed the first set with ice, then dashed to each and made a fatal slash. He turned to the second group and incapacitated them with a single blast of icy fog. The third group tried to pounce from behind, but he turned and froze them out of the air.

After draining them, he washed the magic stones into a watery vortex and gathered the whole load into a bag. After a few more loops, he left the Dungeon and cashed in his winnings. He returned home and ate a simple dinner of chicken with vegetables and rice. Later on, he communicated with his friends back in Sunstone Castle through Abel. He told them about his current situation, about how he was going to join a Familia as part of his cover.

"They all sound like good choices," remarked Midori. "I don't know who I would choose."

"I'd prefer a smaller Familia," replied Atsuro. "That way, you can move around freely since there are fewer people watching you."

"Why not join a bigger one? You can hide among the crowd," suggested Yuzu.

"Tough choices..." remarked Kaz. "As for our portal, you know already know about the abandoned mine. I've asked around about it and the price is pretty hefty, 100 M Valis."

"Wow, that's pretty steep!" replied Atsuro. "You could work for a lifetime and not get close to that."

"I know, that's why I need to join a Familia. I need to fight stronger monsters to get more money," said Kaz.

"If only we could cash in the stones we got from the monsters down here," said Midori.

"Yeah, people are going to get suspicious if he's seen playing around with that much money," said Atsuro.

"Has anything unusual happened down there?" asked Kaz.

"A few demons tried to get in, but we stopped them," said Midori.

"We're thinking of exploring the rest of the Dungeon. It might tell us more about the situation," said Atsuro.

"Okay," said Kaz.

"Wish us luck," said Yuzu.

 **END OF CHAPTER**


	3. Chaos 03 - Mystically Attuned

Disclaimer:  
DanMachi was created by Fujino Omori. Shin Megami Tensei was created by Atlus. This story uses reference material from them.

 **Demons of the Dungeon  
By: RB3  
Chaos in Orario 3: Mystically Attuned**

Kaz woke up early to the dawning of a bright new day over Orario. After doing his morning routine, he put on his combat gear and made his way to the Dungeon. Like before, several adventurers were on their way to the Dungeon to make their fortune like he was. He circled the 4th floor as before in the same route he always used. Every time a group of goblins or kobolds appeared to ambush him, he would spray ice upon them, before cutting them down or draining their life.

When the day was over, he returned home, where he deliberated on the decision before him. For his mission, he felt that joining a smaller Familia would be the best decision. Being in a large Familia meant too many eyes were watching him. They'd also operate more like a regimented military, which would limit his freedom to act and gather information. Of the Familia who had offered him membership, he settled on joining the Hestia Familia.

When he arrived at their church, Hestia and Bell were surprised to find Kaz knocking on the door. "Hi guys! I've decided to join your Familia," said Kaz.

"Wonderful!" said Hestia.

"It's great to have you, Kaz!" said Bell.

"What do I need to do now? I have to get a Falna, right?" asked Kaz.

"Yeah, we can do it right now," said Hestia. "Come to my bedroom and I'll get you set up."

Kaz followed Hestia to her room in the dilapidated church. Hestia instructed him to remove his shirt and lie prone on the bed. She pricked her finger to draw blood and smeared it across his back. A tattoo appeared on his back. It resembled a flaming brazier surrounded by blocks of writing. She then put another drop of blood on his back, causing the tattoo to glow and display his statistics. Hestia's eyes widened in surprise and delight when she saw the kind of power he held.

 **Kazuya Minegishi**  
Lv 1

Str: F  
Vit: S  
Dex: SS  
Agi: S  
Mgc: SSSS

 **Skill**  
Mystical Attunement (attuned to magic, allowing magical sense, accelerated growth oriented around mgc and dex)  
Water / Ice Absorb (absorb water and ice to self heal)

 **Magic**  
Water Sculptor (no-chant, create and shape water and ice)  
Drain (no-chant, steal health and mind in an arc)

Kaz was quite a mysterious unique adventurer. He appeared to be a young man from the Far East, a region quite a distance away from Orario. Despite being foreign, he also had abilities which were rare even for foreigners. In many ways, Kaz was the opposite of Bell. Kaz was a mage, attacking from a distance with magic, while Bell was a frontline fighter. Kaz used ice magic in a variety of ways, but Bell used fire magic solely to shoot bolts.

Hestia was elated, but at the same time, sensed danger. If the other gods ever discovered the full extent of Kaz's abilities, they would try to poach him, just like Bell. When Hestia pressed a parchment onto Kaz's back, she made sure to leave the entry for Mystical Attunement blank. "Here ya go!" said Hestia.

"So, everything is at S or higher except strength," remarked Kaz. "Well, I guess I did beat most of my monsters by blasting them."

"Yeah, and you're more than ready to go to Lv2 right now," said Hestia.

"So, how do I get to Lv2?" asked Kaz.

"You have to do something that would impress the gods," replied Hestia. "That could mean fighting a stronger than usual monster and defeating it."

"I see..." replied Kaz. "What is this blank spot under the skill heading?"

"Oh, it's a mistake. My hand must have slipped," replied Hestia. "Say, why did you come to Orario in the first place?"

"I want to make my living here," replied Kaz. "I figured that being an adventurer would be the ticket to fame and fortune."

"I see..." replied Hestia.

"Is there anything else?" asked Kaz.

"No, that's it. Bell wants to head into the Dungeon with the others today. Go join them and good luck!" said Hestia.

Kaz put on his shirt and joined Bell in the den. "Hestia has given me a Falna. I can go into the Dungeon with you guys!" said Kaz.

"Great!" said Bell. "We're going to meet the others by the fountain at the Dungeon's entrance. Let's go!"

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Bell and Kaz travelled down the streets of Orario. Several other adventurers were making their way to the Dungeon as well. They came upon a fountain where Welf and Lili waited for their partner. "Bell... and Kaz?" asked Lili.

"Good news, Kaz joined our Familia!" said Bell.

"Hey, great!" said Welf.

"Good, I guess," replied Lili.

"How deep are we going?" asked Kaz. "I hope it isn't too deep. I'm still a Lv1."

"We're stopping at F12," replied Bell.

"Yeah, last time we went deeper, it was a disaster," replied Lili. "We barely made it home alive."

"We're gonna play it a bit safer this time," replied Welf.

"Okay, fair enough," said Kaz.

The Hestia Familia marched into the Dungeon with a crowd of other adventurers. They passed through the first four floors easily, as the other adventurers had exterminated the monsters on their way down. In the next set of floors, they came across a swarm of large, ant-like monsters. They were known as Killer Ants and could screech to call for aid their sisters. The Hestia Familia drew weapons in preparation to fight.

Kaz sprayed a blast of ice upon the Killer Ants. It fanned out of his hands in a wide arc, freezing ants left and right. "Wow! You're a mage!" said Welf. "So, those weren't just parlour tricks back at the party."

"Nope," replied Kaz. "They're all yours. Have fun guys."

"Helpless monsters... The best kind!" remarked Welf.

The Hestia Familia cut down each of the ants, who could do nothing but resign themselves to death. Once they were dead, Kaz created flows of water to wash all of the magic stones into a single, watery tornado. It was easy for Lili to simply pluck out stones and dump them into her massive backpack. "Now that's very convenient," remarked Bell.

"I do this all the time when I was solo," replied Kaz.

"It must save you a lot of time from picking up stones," said Lili.

"Uhuh, Eina told me that I earned as much as a party of Lv1s," replied Kaz. "I live very well on that kind of cash."

The Hestia Familia continued onto F10. Unlike the floors above, this floor and the next two were covered in mist. It made visibility quite low, a dangerous situation to be in with monsters lurking about. The land was a vast forest of leafless trees with sparse patches of grass covering the ground. In the distance, there were small hills and plateaus to break up the monotony of the mist-covered forest.

The Hestia Familia came upon a group of imps clawing out of the earth. Once free, they pounced. Bell cut down two with his first attacks. Another tried to sneak in from his blind right, but he still spotted it and kicked it away. Welf chopped a fourth in half as it pounced in. A fifth tried to approach from his periphery, but he spotted it and cut it down. Kaz iced the next three, leaving solid statues. He then stabbed each with his knife.

As Kaz washed the magic stones into a pile, a rumbling came from the ground. A trio of large creatures emerged from the ground. They were rotund green monsters known as orcs. They were at least twice the height of the Hestia Familia members. They approached in formation with two in front with the third in the rear. Kaz froze a patch of ice on the ground beneath them. The orcs blundered onto the ice and slipped, causing an immediate halt to their advance.

A smile formed on Kaz's face, and even Bell, Welf, and Lili could not help but laugh out loud. "Oh this is a riot!" remarked Welf through his laughter.

"Let's take advantage of this," said Bell, who leapt onto one of the orcs and stabbed it through the head. Just before it vanished, Bell leapt away. Welf did the same to the second.

The last orc rose to its knees. "That one's not ready to quit," said Lili, who fired a small, arm-mounted crossbow at the orc's head.

The orc clutched at the wound, but the distraction caused it to lose balance and fall again. It started to rise again, but Kaz fired an ice beam through its head. The orc collapsed from head trauma. Kaz washed all of the magic stones together for Lili to bag. "I'm glad you joined our Familia," said Bell. "Orcs aren't too hard, but keeping them on their backs means less damage for us. Great work!"

"Thank you Bell, and also for giving me this chance to reach the Misty Floors," said Kaz.

The Hestia Familia continued on a circuit around the Misty Floors. They soon came upon a trio of giant silverback gorillas. The Hestia Familia faced off with them with weapons ready. One of the silverbacks tore a boulder from the ground and hurled it. The Familia dove away, letting it crash in empty space. Kaz formed a patch of ice beneath their feet. One of them reached for another boulder, but slipped and smacked its head against it.

Lili fired crossbow bolts at the silverbacks. With so many stuck to their bodies, they looked like living pin cushions. Despite this, they remained standing. Bell landed onto a silverback's shoulder and made a wide slash across the head. Having taken a fatal blow, the silverback collapsed and crumbled to nothingness. Welf approached a second, ducking a punch to close on its legs. With a powerful strike, Welf kneecapped the monster. He leapt for the monster's head and lopped it off.

Kaz fired an ice beam into the third's knee. Ice coated the silverback's leg, pinning it to the ground. It tried to wrench it free, leaving an opening for Kaz to shoot its head. The silverback broke its restraint as it collapsed with a thud. When it was safe, Kaz washed the stones into place for Lili. They continued on the circuit around the Misty Floors, felling monsters while gathering magic stones for money. When they finished their route, they returned to the surface to cash in their earnings.

Several adventurers were gathered in the Pantheon, reading the notice board. Bell noticed one of the adventurers present was a friend, Mikoto Yamato of the Take Mikazuchi Familia. The Japanese girl had long black hair and wore a violet tunic with a samurai shoulder guard. "What happened here?" asked Bell to Mikoto.

"There's been a murder," replied Mikoto.

"A murder?" asked Lili. "How did it happen? Who's the culprit?"

"They don't know yet. The victim was a member of the Freya Familia. Rumour has it that they found him sliced open with his heart missing," replied Mikoto.

Bell could not help but feel a sense of revulsion. "Ew!"

However, Kaz found Mikoto's description quite familiar. "Where did they find that Freya member?" asked Welf.

"Outside, in the grassland to the north of Orario. A hunter's dog led him to the body," replied Mikoto.

"Who could have done something like this?" asked one of the random adventurers. Kaz had an idea, but declined to speak for fear of revealing too much.

Lili cashed in the magic stones and rejoined the others outside of the Pantheon and split the earnings. They separated to rest and recover for the next trip into the Dungeon. That night, Kaz reported what he had seen to his friends back at the Babelite base. "A murder?" asked Midori. "Who would do such a thing?"

"They don't know yet, but I have a hunch that it was the work of an Aztec demon," replied Kaz.

"Don't the Aztecs cut out people's hearts and offer them to their gods?" asked Atsuro.

"Yeah, a cult must have formed around such a demon," replied Kaz. "Did it get through our defences?"

"It's possible. We try our best, but we can't stop every demon from sneaking through," said Yuzu.

"Okay, I'm going in as Abel. I'll have Mao and Scarlet helping me out with Yog staying behind to watch the mine," said Kaz.

"Good, we're going on our first Dungeon exploration tomorrow. Good luck and stay safe," said Atsuro.

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The next day, Atsuro, Yuzu, and Midori, the Survivors, ascended to F64, one floor above Sunstone City's floor. The came upon the mural of a dragon upon a wall of flat rock. Midori noticed text on a small tablet beside the mural. "Here is where the evil dragon Keelon had been sealed. So long as the Dragonslayers keep their vigil, the world shall be free of his reign of terror," read Midori.

"Is it going to jump out and attack us?" asked Yuzu.

"If it tries, we'll beat it up, just like that!" replied Midori.

"A special condition is needed to bring out the dragon. Maybe we can find a clue elsewhere on this floor," said Atsuro.

The Survivors cased the area on the back of the crane-like rooster, Vidofnir. In the north was a castle which had fallen into disuse. To the south was a ship, beached on the sandy shore of a lake. The mural they had seen earlier was at the east side and marked the stairs to the lower floor. The centre of the floor was a vast grassland. A series of grey stone statues stood in the centre as a monument to an adventuring party. The group was the Dragonslayer family according to the identifying plate.

The far left statue was Sam the father, a muscular, mustachioed man in rugged clothing. He propped his axe upside-down in his hand. The next was his wife, Mina, a lovely woman with shoulder-length hair. She had wings on her back, making her seem like an angel. The next was the son, Rowen, a boy in his early to mid teens. He was clad in leather armour, like an adventurer in training. He had his fist out, as though to hold a weapon, but nothing in hand.

The daughter, Lilly, was a cute, sweet girl no more than ten years old. She wore a feather on a headband like an Indian. The last was Poochie, whose appearance was not what his name suggested. His statue depicted a lizard-like creature. Poochie also seemed very young, like an infant. "Poochie is a dragon?" asked Yuzu. "That's a dog's name!"

"He so cute and adorable! He just makes my heart melt!" said Midori.

The Survivors found a small forest in the western part of the floor. They soon chanced upon a clearing with a log cabin meant for a lumberjack and his family. The home was abandoned, with no sign that anyone had used it recently. There was a set of graves near the cabin. The headstones were made of granite, but the last was a simple cross made of wood, more crudely constructed than the others.

"Here lies the remains of the Dragonslayers, the family who ended the reign of the evil dragon Keelon," said Midori, reading the inscription on a tablet behind the graves. "To witness their epic battle, crown the Dragonslayers' likenesses and offer them a weapon to face the evil dragon."

The members of the Dragonslayer Family were Sam, Mina, Rowen, and Lilly, inscribed from left to right. They were father, mother, son, and daughter respectively. The last grave was marked "Poochie," written crudely in paint by a child's hand. "So, these are the graves of the people shown by the statues," said Yuzu.

"Ooh! This sounds like a puzzle!" said Midori.

"Yeah, if we need to crown them, we have to find those crowns," said Atsuro.

"Where could they be?" asked Yuzu.

"I saw a ruined castle and a beached shipwreck. Maybe we should start there," replied Atsuro.

The Survivors used Vidofnir to fly to the ruined castle. As soon as they set foot on the spacious courtyard, various monsters spawned from the ground. Some of the monsters were giant spiders, Deformis Spiders, with fangs which dripped green venom. Another set were green dragons. A third set were animated skeletons, black Spartoi, who were armed with swords and shields. The last were monsters which resembled golems made of volcanic rock known as Flame Rocks.

The creatures advanced on the team. "Of course there had to be monsters," remarked Atsuro.

Yuzu hurled air blades at three spiders, slicing and dicing them to bits. Vidofnir's eyes glowed grey as it gazed at others, turning another three to stone. Black Frost slipped behind the dragons and spewed ice from his mouth. Two got frozen solid. Others turned to breathe fire at him, only to have their breath bounced back and stun them. Black Frost set upon them quickly, breathing ice to put them down.

Atsuro's demon, a yaksini known as Viola, had cut down two Spartoi which closed to engage. Another tried to slip in through the blind side, but the purple-skinned amazon noticed and roundhouse kicked it away. She whipped a whirlwind towards her foe and sent it into a wall. Atsuro closed with another and landed a haymaker to its jaw. The Spartoi's skull shattered and the monster collapsed in a heap.

A Flame Rock tried to punch Atsuro, but he dodged and hopped away. A turquoise-skinned giant, Hector the Hecatonchires, stepped in and punched the Flame Rock to pieces. The last Flame Rock charged in to intervene, but walked right into Hector's punches and got shattered. "At least they drop nice crystals," remarked Atsuro, picking one up.

After harvesting the stones, they entered the central chamber. There were four golden crowns arranged in a row, sealed within a display case. The Survivors claimed them and flew south to the beached pirate ship. They found a single treasure chest in its hold. A scimitar was inside, which they claimed. They returned to the statues. "Now, where do we put the crowns and the sword?" asked Yuzu.

Atsuro looked over the statues of the Dragonslayers. "Put the sword in Rowen's hand," said Atsuro. "Put the crowns on the others."

Once Midori did so, a tremor ripped through the ground. Unseen from the statues, the spirits of the Dragonslayers rose from their graves. Rowen pointed at a direction, urging his family to follow. The mural burst open and from the hole came the evil dragon Keelon, roaring with vengeance. "What was that?" asked Yuzu.

"We woke up the dragon!" said Midori.

Keelon departed from the mountains which contained his mural. At the west end of the grassland, the Survivors spotted the Dragonslayer family rushing to meet Keelon in battle. Mina took to the sky with her wings and hurled balls of pink magical light. Her daughter joined the attack, shooting fireballs from her wand. Sam assisted by throwing axes at Keelon, which would vanish and rematerialize in his hand after impact.

None of the attacks fazed Keelon, who whipped its tail at Sam. The father hopped over the attack, avoiding it completely. Poochie pounced and bit into Keelon's tail. Keelon roared in agony, trying to shake off the courageous pet. Rowen leapt up and impaled Keelon in the cheek. The dragon shook its body, throwing off son and sword, followed by swinging its tail to throw off Poochie. The Dragonslayers regrouped and rethought their tactics.

"What do we do?" asked Yuzu.

The Dragonslayers charged at Keelon. "While they're busy, attack!" said Atsuro.

"Okay!" said Yuzu.

Vidofnir made a beeline for Mina, crashing into her like a missile. She was thrown out of the air and killed upon hitting the ground. Hector charged at Keelon and tackled him to the ground. He mounted the dragon and proceeded to rain punches all over its face. The blows came so fast that the dragon could do nothing to defend itself. The final blow pulped Keelon's head, disintegrating the entire body and leaving behind its magic stone.

Midori's Cait Sith, who resembled the Puss in Boots, whipped a whirlwind at Rowen. He was carried into the air and shredded, leaving behind nothing but his magic stone. Sam hurled axes at Midori, who weaved past, then leapt over an axe and sent a blast of fire down onto him. Sam got melted by the flames, leaving behind his magic stone. Poochie lunged and bit into Black Frost's arm. In turn, Black Frost pulled him off by the tail and lifted him into the air. Black Frost breathed ice to freeze him.

Atsuro evaded Lilly's fireballs and quickly darted in with a blow to the gut. Lilly crumpled under the power of the blow and disintegrated, leaving behind her stone and wand. Atsuro picked them up. The others gathered the remaining stones as well as Sam's gloves and Lilly's wand. Even without confirmation by comps, Lilly's wand was clearly magical, capable of shooting fireballs. Sam's gloves were also magical according to the comps, increasing its wearer's strength.

"These may be useful," said Atsuro. "Let's keep them for now."

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The Hestia Familia met bright and early in the morning by the fountain. With all members accounted for, they made their way to the Misty Floors for more magic stone gathering. Their first encounter was with a group of three Hard Armoureds, creatures which resembled spiked armadillos. They curled up and rolled at the Familia, forcing them to scatter to avoid being run over. Once the armadillos realized they had overshot their targets, they turned for another pass.

Kaz quickly put an ice patch in their path. They tried to roll through it, but two slipped and collapsed on their sides. The third continued to slide towards the group at top speed. Kaz leapt over it in the nick of time and Lili took a step back to avoid it. It crashed into a rock and killed itself, leaving behind a magic stone. Kaz removed the ice patch to allow Bell and Welf to approach and cut the rest down.

"Be careful! Your ice nearly got us run over!" said Lili.

"I'll be mindful for the future," said Kaz.

"Nobody was hurt," said Bell, returning to the group with Welf.

They suddenly heard screaming from elsewhere in the Misty Floor. They went to search of the source and found a trio of Lv1 adventurers running in terror. Following them was an orange reptilian monster which towered over them. It was a baby dragon, the most powerful monster in the upper floors. It was like a Floor Boss, and needed a group of Lv1 combatants to down. However, it was not a true Floor Boss since it had a random spawn point on the Misty Floors.

"Let me deal with this creature," said Kaz. "Get those adventurers to safety."

"Alone? That's too risky!" said Lili.

"I know what I'm doing. Just make sure they are safe," said Kaz.

"Okay, do what you need to do," said Bell.

"Thank you," said Kaz.

As Bell and the others ran to assist the adventurers, Kaz had placed an ice patch in the path of the baby dragon. The dragon blundered onto it in pursuit of its prey. It reared back to breathe fire, only to lose its footing and misfire chaotically. The burning stream veered towards Kaz, who quickly bolted away. However, he looked down and saw that he had been singed in the hand. He turned to the dragon and froze an icy collar around its right hind leg.

The dragon struggled to rise, but couldn't with that collar present. It tried to wrench its leg free, but Kaz kept blasting it with ice beams, causing heavy damage. It finally broke the collar and got up, though still wobbly from the ice patch. It escaped the ice and turned to Kaz, who went low and kneecapped its left front leg with an ice beam. The dragon roared in agony as it stumbled. It managed to spit a fireball at Kaz. Kaz hopped away, but the explosion knocked him further than planned.

He quickly recovered and bounced to his feet. Kaz expelled tendrils of violet energy, stealing the dragon's power for self-replenishment. The dragon slumped over, fatigued from the attack. Kaz sent an ice beam right between the creature's eyes, causing mortal trauma to the head. It collapsed without another sound and vanished, leaving behind a large magic stone. The rescued adventurers were in awe.

They raced over to thank their saviour. "Thank you so much. We would have been dragon chow if it weren't for you," said one of the male adventurers, a man with stubble on his face.

"You're welcome. I'm glad you're all alive," said Kaz.

"That was awesome!" said Welf.

"Way to go!" said Bell.

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When evening came, the Hestia Familia returned to the surface with bags full of magic stones. With the addition of the baby dragon's magic stone, they got a bonus of 100,000 Valis. That gave each member two whole days worth of extra pay. The Hestia Familia split up for the night's chores. After cleaning up at his home, Kaz returned to the Hestia church to get an update to his Falna. As Hestia looked over the tattoo, she was amazed at what she saw.

 **Kazuya Minegishi**  
Lv 1 - 2

Str: F - I  
Vit: S - I  
Dex: SS - I  
Agi: S - I  
Mag: SSSS - I

 **Skill**  
Mystical Attunement  
Water / Ice Absorb  
Energetic Reservoir (health & mind can be banked & supplied to self or other people)

 **Magic**  
Water Sculptor  
Drain

 **Dev Ability**  
Mage I (enhance magic usage)  
Status Resist I (avoid being affected by status ailments)

Now that Kaz had joined a Familia, he wasn't out for just himself anymore. He needed to consider his new Familia and start helping them rise in wealth and prominence. He gained Energetic Reservoir to fulfill this need. The Hestia Familia had yet to acquire a healer. It relied upon potions for recovery, which did get expensive. Although the money was starting to flow in, any way to save money was a good thing.

Hestia put the Falna onto a sheet of paper for Kaz to read. "Lv2? Yes!" said Kaz.

"That was fast. You've been here a bit longer than two months and you're already Lv2. I'm amazed," said Hestia. "Bell still holds the record though. He got Lv2 in half the time."

"Eh, I wasn't really trying to compete with him," said Kaz.

"So, how do you like being in my Familia?" asked Hestia.

"You seem so close to each other. I admire that," replied Kaz.

"You gained a healing ability with your level," said Hestia.

"I noticed. I didn't see any of the others use healing magic. I don't think they know any. It seems like I'm the only one," remarked Kaz.

"You are," said Hestia. "My Familia will be relying on you more than ever. Please be careful."

"I will, thanks," said Kaz.

When Kaz put on his shirt and left, he bumped into Bell on the way out. When asked, Kaz repeated what he had learned from Hestia. "You got Lv2 and you can heal now?" asked Bell.

"Yep, but it's very limited," replied Kaz. "I'll need more protection. I can't heal you if I keep having to use my stored energy on myself."

"Still, that's great!" said Bell.

 **END OF CHAPTER**


	4. Chaos 04 - Lili's Freedom

Disclaimer:  
DanMachi was created by Fujino Omori. Shin Megami Tensei was created by Atlus. This story uses reference material from them.

 **Demons of the Dungeon  
By: RB3  
Chaos in Orario 4: Lili's Freedom**

As the Hestia Familia slept during the night, Abel appeared in the city of Orario. He wore a balaclava over his face, to avoid being recognized. The Aztec cult was hidden in the limits of the city and he was intent on finding it and stopping the human sacrifices. He teleported from rooftop to rooftop in the northeast quadrant, scanning the city for unusual activity. He reached out with his sixth sense but could not detect anything.

Scarlet the succubus flew over the southwest quadrant, trying to sense any disturbances which would indicate demonic activity. For several minutes, she could not find anything. Suddenly, a surge of power alerted her senses. It was from a demon manifesting in Orario. She scanned around and narrowed the location to an abandoned warehouse. It reeked heavily of fish, suggesting it was once used for storing fish brought over from Melen, a lakeside town to the southwest of Orario.

Abel teleported close to a second floor window and could make out a faint chanting coming from deeper within the building. When he snuck inside, he found himself in an office overlooking a congregation of people on the floor. All were dressed in Aztec garb. They chanted the name of Quetzalcoatl, the Feathered Serpent, imploring him for strength and power. In response to their chanting, the Aztec god had fully materialized in the world.

"Great Quetzalcoatl, we offer you the heart of this noble warrior," said the high priest, the man with the most ornate and feathered garb of all. "Please accept this humble offering."

"Mortal, I thank you for this offering," said Quetzalcoatl. "Nourish me with this warrior's strength."

The high priest stood beneath Quetzalcoatl and before an altar with a man tied to it. The man was very frightened, struggling against his restraints. He was obviously an unwilling sacrifice, a person randomly kidnapped off the street. The high priest received a sacrificial flint knife from an assistant. Before he could plunge the knife into his victim, Abel blasted Quetzalcoatl with lightning. The Aztec god was seared into ash, no match for the King of Bel's power.

The high priest looked around and saw Abel in the second floor office. He pointed up at him, but before anyone could move, Abel blasted the entire room with lightning. The worshippers convulsed in agony as they were brought to the ground. Even the high priest got hit, dropping his knife as he fell to the floor. While no one died, they would not be moving for at least an hour. Mao and Scarlet flanked the prisoner, standing watch

Abel seared the restraining ropes around the man's limbs. "Go!" Abel commanded, his voice distorted by magic.

The man quickly fled the scene, as did Abel and his demons. Within moments, the guards had arrived to secure the area, led there by the freed prisoner. Abel and company were gone, having fled long ago. The guards arrested the cultists, checking Falna if present, to learn who each cultist was. Outside, far from the warehouse, Abel took one last glance at the surrounded building before teleporting away. The murders would be linked to the cult and greater scrutiny would keep them from summoning any more demons.

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At the Pantheon, the poster of the high priest was plastered on the wall. The man's name was Herman Cortez and he was a member of the Apollo Familia. Kaz and Bell arrived and noticed the crowd trying to read the poster. Among the crowd were the Hiryute Sisters, trying to look above the mass of people to see the posting. "Hey, what happened here?" asked Bell.

Tione turned to see Bell. "Oh Argonaut, did you know? They caught the guy who committed the murder the other day," announced Tione.

"They did? Who was it?" asked Bell.

"He came from the Apollo Familia. His name is Herman Cortez," replied Tiona.

A nameless adventurer had heard them talking and decided to join in. "Yeah, he was into some seriously creepy shit, black magic and all," said the male adventurer. "I'd expect the Hecate Familia to do this kind of stuff, not the Apollo Familia. I'm glad they caught the bastard."

"At least everything is okay with the guy behind bars," said Kaz.

"Uhuh," said Bell. "No more kidnappings, no more murders..."

"I'm going to hand in my Falna sheet," said Kaz.

Some of the crowd started to leave and new people came in to check the notice. Kaz approached the front desk where Eina was working. She looked over Kaz's sheet and became shocked. "You're Lv2?" she asked incredulously. "That fast? It's only been two months!"

"I worked hard to get to where I am," Kaz said humbly.

"Still, that's incredible. Now that you're Lv2, you can go to any floor before F30," said Eina.

"Thank you Eina," said Kaz. "We'll plan accordingly."

Kaz rejoined Bell in leaving the Pantheon. For the next week, the Hestia Familia focused on the Misty Floors, hoping to toughen up their members since Kaz had recently levelled. On the morning of one of those trips, the Hestia Familia gathered by the fountain. "So, we're going back to F12?" asked Kaz.

"Yeah, I'm not too keen on going back to the middle floors so quickly after what happened last time," replied Lili.

"Oh, no rush. I heard that place was pretty rough the first time you guys tried it out," said Kaz.

"Yeah," replied Bell. "The monsters just kept coming and coming and wore us down. Next time will be different. We're stronger than before. Welf is Lv2 now and so are you, Kaz."

"Yeah, that just leaves me, still at Lv1," said Lili.

"We'd never leave you behind, Lili," said Bell. "You're not alone anymore."

Welf and Kaz nodded in agreement. "One day, it will be your turn, little bit," said Welf.

"Come to think of it, I haven't seen you get any updates from Hestia," said Kaz. "You should get one soon."

"Yeah, about that..." said Lili. "I'm not technically a member of the Hestia Familia."

"You aren't?" asked Kaz. "How is that possible?"

"I'm really from the Soma Familia, but I'm not welcome there," replied Lili.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know," said Kaz.

"It's fine," replied Lili. "Soma doesn't care about me or his Familia. His children beat me up and rob me, so I dumped them for Bell and you guys."

"Is there any way you can change to the Hestia Familia?" asked Kaz.

"That's the problem," replied Lili. "They want me to cough up 10,000,000 Valis."

"10,000,000 Valis?" asked Kaz incredulously. "Holy cow!"

"Whoa!" remarked Welf. "Where would we get that kind of money?"

Kaz was speechless. He wanted to help Lili out of her predicament. He then remembered the stones he had gathered on his way up as Abel. The largest ones came from Floor Bosses like Udaeus and the fighting rabbit boss, which he dubbed Yutu. He could sell them for a hefty sum of Valis, enough to pay off the fee. However, it could put his cover at risk. A lone adventurer should not be able to down Floor Bosses, especially not one as new as Kaz was.

Still, he wanted to help the Hestia Familia out, even knowing these risks. "I might have a way out of this," said Kaz.

"You do?" asked Bell. "How?"

"I'd... prefer not to say. You must promise me not to pry into it, or mention this to anyone," replied Kaz.

"Are you thinking of doing something illegal?" asked Lili. "I can't ask you do that, not even for me!"

"Don't worry, it's not anything illegal, but it could bring a lot of 'unwanted attention' on me, the goddess... all of us," replied Kaz. "It's better that none of you know about it. I'm not even sure if it will work, to be honest, but I will try. Will you trust in my plan?"

The other Hestia Familia members thought about it and discussed among themselves. "I think we should talk to Hestia about this after the expedition," said Bell.

"Okay, fair enough," replied Kaz.

After a fairly routine run, the Hestia Familia returned from the Dungeon just as the sun was setting. Bell spoke with Hestia and the others about the matter in a round table discussion. "Okay, I have faith in you Kaz. Please do what you can," said Hestia.

"I'll get the money as soon as possible," said Kaz. "Thank you for placing your trust in me."

They went their separate ways with Kaz returning home. He told his friends, the other Survivors, about his plan. "Yeah, that's very risky like you said," remarked Atsuro. "People might get suspicious."

"Even so, if he cares about them that much, he should help them if he can. I would do the same thing if I was him," said Midori.

"Me too," replied Yuzu.

"Yeah, after this I can't pull this stunt again for a long time. I'll have to let suspicions die down," remarked Kaz.

Kaz packed the magic stones belonging to Udaeus and Yutu. He made his way to the Pantheon, where he asked the teller to appraise Udaeus' stone. The teller deemed it to be worth 11M Valis, more than enough to pay Lili's release fee. "Do you want to cash this in?" asked the teller.

"Sure, let me have the money now," said Kaz. He received a bulging coin bag and verified that he had been paid in full. He pocketed it for safe keeping and left for home. The next day, he arrived at the Hestia Familia home, where everyone was waiting. "Good news! I got the money!"

Kaz showed the Familia the bag. Lili counted the coins. "This is 11,000,000 Valis! You did it Kaz!" said Lili.

"Aye, but remember our agreement. No speaking about this or asking about how I got the money," said Kaz.

"Okay, now we need to pay Soma for your release," said Hestia.

"I'm going to ask him to visit a hotel, somewhere neutral," said Lili.

"Good idea! We could rent a room nearby, so we'll be there in case if he tries anything sleazy," said Kaz.

"Yeah, that was what I was hoping," said Lili.

"We should ask a friend, someone outside the Familia, to rent the room for us," said Hestia.

"How about Ais?" asked Bell.

"The Sword Princess?" asked Welf. "With someone as strong as her on our side, they wouldn't dare start a fight."

"I'd rather we ask someone else, but you and Kaz will be in the room with the others, right?" asked Hestia.

"Of course," replied Welf.

"We need to watch Lili and plan our moves," replied Kaz.

"As long as Bell is not left alone with her, I'll let it slide," replied Hestia.

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The Hestia Familia found themselves in Room 401 of the Seven League Hotel. With them was a friend in Ais Wallenstein, the Sword Princess of the Loki Familia. She was dressed in her adventurer's gear, a metal chest plate which contoured to her body. She also had her sword at her side. The Hestia Familia was quite anxious about this meeting with the Soma Familia. The Soma Familia had attacked and robbed Lili before. They could do it again.

"Thank you for coming, Ais. We all feel more confident about this plan with you here," said Kaz.

"I'm happy to help," replied Ais.

Just a few rooms away was Room 405, where Lili would pay her release fee. She went down to the lobby, where the god Soma appeared with a single bodyguard, a thin-faced man with glasses. Soma himself was a young man with long black hair which covered his eyes. He wore a white tunic, his work attire for the art of making spirits. Lili led them up to her room and closed the door behind her. From a distance, Welf watched from a crack in the ajar door.

"I saw them go in. So good so far," said Welf, retreated into his room.

"Let's hope it stays that way," said Bell.

Some time passed, but nothing out of the ordinary happened. Soma and his bodyguard left the room without incident. When they were far enough away, the Hestia Familia and Ais went to check on her. "It's me," said Bell, knocking on the door. "Please let me in."

"Come in," said Lili, responding to Bell.

When they entered, they found Lili, who seemed a bit dazed and wobbly, but was otherwise unharmed. "Are you okay?" asked Ais.

"Yeah," replied Lili. "They made me drink some strong stuff, but I'm fine. Good news, I'm free!"

"Really? Yeah!" said Bell, hugging the little girl.

"Well, that's a relief!" said Welf. "I'm glad nothing bad happened."

"Uhuh," said Kaz, nodding in agreement.

"Thank you Ais, for coming to help us," said Bell.

"You're welcome. I need to get back now," said Ais.

"Okay," said Bell. "We're about to leave too."

The Hestia Familia returned to the church, helping Lili get there due to her wobbly state. They allowed her to rest for the rest of the day. When tomorrow came, Lili found herself in Hestia's bed. Lili had quite a throbbing headache from of drinking Soma's most potent brew the day before. "Don't fall asleep on me now, supporter," said Hestia as she came in with a cup and coaster. "Have some tea."

Hestia placed a cup on the nightstand near her bed. Lili sat up and took a sip from the cup. "Thanks."

"No problem. You're going to be in my Familia soon, but there's no rush," said Hestia.

A bit later, Lili ate breakfast with the founders of the Hestia Familia. Bell had prepared some eggs, toast, and orange juice for the group, and some pork congee for Lili. Lili had also taken a special pill with her meal, one that would help clear her head. Afterwards, Hestia brought her new recruit to her room, where Lili removed her shirt and lay prone on the bed. Hestia washed a streak of blood over her back, causing Lili to gain her new Falna.

 **Liliruca Arde**  
Lv 1

Str: I  
Vit: H  
Dex: G  
Agi: F  
Mag: E

 **Skills**  
Alter Assist (increase carry weight limit)

 **Magic**  
Cinderella (assume appearance and form of a living being roughly the same size)

Lili's stats left much to be desired, as most supporters' stats tended to do. She was also a Prum, a race not known for being strong. Since she had no success as a standard adventurer, she committed herself to acting as a supporter. Hestia noticed that Lili always carried a massive backpack which was far larger than her own body. Her Alter Assist skill was what allowed her to do that at no penalty to herself. Thanks to Alter Assist, she could carry the weight of at least two regular supporters by herself, freeing up many others to fight.

Though actually a Prum, Lili normally took on the form of a Chienthrope. It was Cinderella which allowed that, making it a powerful tool for infiltration and spying. Having this spell indicated that Lili had a lot of self-loathing. Seeing her Alter Assist skill, it was probably because of her failure as an adventurer and abuse from Soma's Familia. Hestia felt thankful for Lili and Cinderella. This spell was how Lili snuck in to rescue her from Mord's thugs during the rescue of Bell.

"Goddess?" asked Lili, wondering why Hestia was not saying anything.

"Oh sorry, just thinking," replied Hestia. "Welcome to the Familia."

"You won't regret it, goddess," said Lili. "I'll earn lots of money for the Familia, and I'll keep watch over Bell. Just you watch!"

"Oh, I'll be watching alright. Bell is mine. Look all you want, but don't touch," said Hestia. "Oh, and remember to thank Kaz when you get the chance. You wouldn't be here without him."

"Of course," replied Lili.

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Lili and the rest of the Familia took the rest of the day off to allow her to recover from the booze she was forced to ingest. The next day, the Familia met around a table at the church to plan their next trip into the Dungeon. For that one, they wanted to return to the middle floors. Their first attempt led to the Hestia Familia being ground down by the relentless attacks of the native monsters. They exhausted their supplies and barely made it to safety in F18, with Bell having to carry the others the rest of the way.

Things were different today. Everybody was stronger than before. In particular, Welf had been promoted to Lv2, meaning he was much stronger than during his first trip. With his new Blacksmithing ability, he could outfit the party with better equipment. Also, the Hestia Familia had gained a new member in Kaz. He could disable multiple monsters with a single burst of ice magic, easing pressure on the front lines. He also had a recuperative skill and was Lv2.

"Let's use the same formation we used last time. Welf in front with Bell behind him in the middle, where it is toughest. I'll follow in the rear, with Kaz beside me. Kaz can use area denial tactics to cover our rear," said Lili. "Once there, we head straight to F18, no fooling around, just get there FAST."

"Alright," said Kaz. "I don't want a repeat of what happened to you guys last time."

"It won't be like last time," said Bell. "This time, we'll walk all over the monsters."

"We can use holes made by monsters to speed up our descent," said Lili. "Once we're on F18, we're good. We'll use that as a base to look around and explore."

"This looks good," remarked Welf, glancing over maps of the middle floors.

For the rest of the day, the Hestia Familia travelled around town to gather needed supplies. The Dungeon run would take longer than one day to accomplish, which meant they needed rations, medical supplies, and camping equipment. Lili and Kaz went from store to store to purchase them as well as a set of chemicals. Lili took them home, where she donned a face mask to mix them together and load them into bags. They were called Morbuls and expelled a foul odour which warded monsters.

Even Welf was busy at work. He took measurements of Bell's body and recorded them on a sheet of paper. Once that was done, he fired up the forge. He hammered away at a piece of metal, under the sweltering, crimson glow of the fire. Bit by bit, his new creation took form as the Pyonkichi Mk 4. When he was done, Bell came over to test it out. "I upgraded my old work to Mk 4. Now that I've got the Blacksmith ability, I can make even better gear than before."

"Oh! This is even lighter, almost like wearing nothing at all," remarked Bell as he put on his upgraded Pyonkichi armour.

"Yep, and with better defence on top of that," Welf proclaimed triumphantly.

"Awesome!" said Bell.

Then came the big day. The Hestia Familia gathered in the church to eat one final breakfast before entering the Dungeon. It was a very nutritious meal of sausage and eggs served with milk as a drink. For dessert, they ate the sweetest fruit money could buy. After relaxing to allow the meal to digest, they set off for the Dungeon. "Good luck!" said Hestia, just outside Babel Tower.

"When we come back, our bags will be full of magic stones. We'll be raking in the dough!" said Welf.

The group entered the Dungeon and reached the threshold to F13. "This is it. We're about to go back to the middle floors. Everyone remember the plan?" asked Lili.

"Go straight to F18, no detours, no stopping to smell the roses, nothing," replied Bell. "If we find monster holes, use them as a shortcut."

"Good," replied Lili. Everyone else nodded.

The group descended into the rocky F13 and started searching for the path to the next floor. A few minutes into their exploration, a group of rabbits armed with axes came their way. These creatures, Almiraj, numbered twenty. Kaz summoned a blizzard above their heads. As they ran forward, the snow slapped their eyes, blinding them and breaking their charge. Welf turned to one of the advancing Almiraj and chopped it in half with one blow. Another pounced at him, but met the edge of his blade. A third tried the same failed tactic and got impaled.

Nearby, Bell dumped Fire Bolts upon the blinded rabbits. Another group slipped through the onslaught and pounced at him. Bell swiped them with his dagger, killing each in one hit. Another tried to come in from the right, only to get kicked. Lili fired at it, fatally riddling the Almiraj with arrows. Kaz drained the final rabbit, then radiated the refreshing green energy to his party. After Lili gathered the stones from Kaz's water vortex, they continued onward.

They found a single narrow rock bridge which spanned a chasm. "I remember this place," said Welf.

"Yeah, we're not falling for that one again," said Lili.

Everyone nodded and proceeded onward. As soon as they reached the middle, a pack of black dogs started to approach from behind. These unholy creatures reeked of sulphur, with tongues of flame licking out of their maws. They were fire breathing hellhounds. Kaz iced the bridge, all the way back to the entrance hole. The first dogs in blundered onto the ice and started to slip, slowing down to compensate and remain upright. They clustered together as a result.

Lili launched arrows at them, like shooting at sitting ducks. Some of them tried to evade, but the ice patch punished them, causing them to slip and fall. Two of the dogs even slid off the edge, tumbling into the abyss below. Lili kept the onslaught up, turning multiple dogs into pincushions. As the Hestia Familia retreated to the other end of the bridge, Welf and Bell saw crimson eyes in the darkness ahead.

"More of them ahead," said Bell.

"No surprise," said Welf.

Welf saw one of them prepare to breathe fire and cast Will O'Wisp in response. An explosion burst out, taking out the dog's head and blasting its neighbours. Bell started peppering their position with Firebolts to keep them off balance. One hellhound survivor pounced and met its end at Bell's blade. Another tried to approach directly, only to have Welf chop it in half. Once the enemy numbers thinned, Bell charged in and cut down three more.

Welf felled another two and the Familia regrouped to collect loot. "We're doing great," said Bell. "We got this far and none of us got hurt."

"Let's keep up this up," said Welf.

The group found a small hole to the next floor. Kaz formed a pole of ice leading all the way down. The Familia slid down its length, safely descending from F13 to F14. After finding and using more holes, they reached F17, where the walls were made of bedrock. They pressed on and came upon a gang of Minotaurs. Kaz iced the ground beneath the four monsters. They slowed down to compensate, but two of them still slipped and fell.

The others closed ranks to cover their brothers as they left the ice. Bell closed and evaded a chop. He came in from a diagonal and stabbed the Minotaur in the stomach. The Minotaur doubled over, then Bell dragged the knife up, opening a vertical gash. The creature collapsed and disintegrated, leaving behind its stone. Welf backed from his Minotaur's axe swing, then came in for a thrust. His sword pierced through the creature's stomach, coming out the other end.

Welf pulled out the bloody weapon and the creature doubled over. He then lopped off the monster's head with one chop. The other two started to rise to their feet, but Kaz scored a head shot on one with his ice beam. It slipped and fell, already dead by this point. As the last cleared the ice, Bell darted to it and stabbed it in the heart. After it collapsed and disintegrated, all that remained were magic stones. Lili collected them and the Familia advanced.

They eventually descended a slide into an area which expanded forward into a rectangular chamber. "This is the Great Wall of Grief," said Lili. "Goliath spawns here."

"The Floor Boss?" asked Welf.

"Yep," replied Lili.

"Make a run for it," said Bell.

The Hestia Familia dashed as fast as they could. In the middle of the room, the walls and grounds started to rumble and collapse. The giant, Goliath, smashed its way out of the wall in order to chase Bell and crew. Kaz turned around and iced the ground between them and Goliath. He then rejoined the others in the beeline for the tunnel down to F18. Goliath started pursuit, then stepped on the ice and slipped. He crashed to the ground with a loud thud, but by then, the Hestia Familia was already in the tunnel.

Upon seeing the light of the crystals of the safe zone, Bell thrust a fist into the sky. "Yeah! Woohoo! We made it!" said Bell triumphantly.

 **END OF CHAPTER**


	5. Chaos 05 - Floor Boss Battles

Disclaimer:  
DanMachi was created by Fujino Omori. Shin Megami Tensei was created by Atlus. This story uses reference material from them.

 **Demons of the Dungeon  
By: RB3  
Chaos in Orario 5: Floor Boss Battles**

After the Hestia Familia reach F18, Bell gazed upon a vista of the floor. Numerous memories of daring adventure flooded back into his mind. The glowing crystals on the roof cast light upon F18, providing sun light and the appearance of the blue sky. Grass and trees soaked up this light and thrived, even in the dark depths of the Dungeon. Lili pointed out a nice clearing in the forest where the Familia could camp for the night.

In the distance was a crude town which had been founded by and named after the adventurer Rivira Santilini. It was constructed out of wood gathered from the local forests. Rivira Town was in a perpetual state of disrepair from routine monster attacks. Although monsters never spawned on F18, stray ones could wander in from neighbouring floors. They also attacked adventurers who opted to camp to avoid Rivira's exorbitant prices. Since these were strays, they were few in number and easily fended off.

F18 was relatively empty at the moment. None of the large Familia had ventured down to explore the further depths of the Dungeon. Only a few members of some small and medium-sized Familia were present, none of which were familiar to the Hestia Familia. The sky reddened and turned dark as time passed. The Hestia Familia set up camp and gathered around a fire, where they ate a meal of pemmican rations. They accompanied the meal with more berries for vitamins and water to wash it down.

"Guys, I've been thinking, should we try to take down that Goliath?" asked Bell.

"You want to fight the Goliath?" asked Welf.

"Yes," replied Bell. "If we could defeat it, some of us might level up. Plus, I kinda want pay back for what happened the last time we were here."

"Rivira will need it removed anyway. As long as its there, it will interfere with passage to the surface for trade," said Lili. "It will hinder us too when going home, since we need to run uphill to escape the Great Wall of Grief."

"Why not ask Rivira or some of the adventurers here for support?" asked Welf.

"Yeah, it might be tough to take on a Goliath with only the four of us," said Lili.

"Okay, let's ask around," said Bell.

After doing so, the Hestia Familia was led to a muscular man with short black hair. He had a scar running down through his left eye, which had been blinded and covered by an eye patch. This man was Bors Elder, the de facto mayor of Rivira. "You want to fight the Goliath?" asked Bors.

"Yes," replied Bell.

"We'd like to ask for your help," said Lili. "As long as it's there, it will make it hard to reach the upper floors."

"Okay, but you are going in first to distract it," said Bors. "We need time to deploy our catapults and siege engines."

"They'd better be following behind us," said Lili. "We won't forget if you leave us high and dry."

"I assure you, that won't happen," said Bors. "We here at Rivira are used to fighting that Goliath. We'll prepare the weapons tonight. We leave bright and early at eight tomorrow."

The Hestia Familia woke up nice and early and ate more pemmican and berries as their breakfast. Once they groomed themselves, they made their way to the entrance to F17. An array of catapults and ballistae were lined up by the ramp leading up. "Looks like they're aren't fooling around," remarked Welf, seeing so many siege engines and the adventurers accompanying them.

"We move once you begin the battle with Goliath," said Bors. "Move out as soon as possible."

The Hestia Familia ascended the ramp and entered the Great Hall of Grief, where the Goliath spawned. As expected, the room started to rumble. Rocks started to fall from above as the Goliath bust its way through the wall. Kaz quickly moved to the monster's blind spot and put an ice patch in its path. Bell opened the battle by shooting Firebolts at its face. The Goliath growled in pain, then glared at Bell. The Little Rookie fled, luring the Goliath away from the wall.

In its furious haste, the Goliath blundered over the ice patch. It slipped and fell onto its back with a loud thud. Bell turned back and hopped onto the giant's body, then onto its face. He started slashing away, forcing the Goliath to cover its face. Bell simply hopped over its arms and attacked another open location. At its left knee, Welf started hacking away. Kaz and Lili moved to the other knee, where they started to blast it with arrows and ice beams.

The Goliath suddenly moved its arm, knocking Bell into the wall. It sat up and swatted Welf away, then did the same to Kaz and Lili. The entire Familia were strewn around the room. The Goliath got up and turned its gaze onto Welf. "FIRE!" cried Bors.

A flurry of boulders and bolts struck the Goliath's back. The giant roared in agony. Its body was covered in bruises and riddled with bolts like a pincushion. These attacks came from the entrance to F18, where a line of ballistae and catapults had been set up by the Rivirans. The Goliath advanced on them, but the adventurers kept up the onslaught. It caught a catapult's boulder, then hurled it back at the sender. The siege engine's operators fled just before the rock crushed it.

As the Hestia Familia got up, Kaz conjured a blizzard over the Great Hall of Grief. The Goliath lost sight of the Rivirans, who had fled to F18 under the cover of the snow. Kaz took advantage of this distraction to put an ice patch behind the Goliath's feet. Lili fired arrows at its back and head, luring the Goliath into turning and charging at her. It blundered onto the unseen ice and slipped. It flailed its arms trying to maintain balance.

Kaz took this chance to shoot it in the groin with ice. The Goliath groaned in pain and dropped to its knees with hands cupping the vulnerable area. Bell channelled the Argonaut's power into his dagger, causing it to glow white. He hopped up the Goliath's lowered body and plunged the dagger into the Goliath's forehead. Having opened a bleeding wound, Bell sent Firebolts in, one after the other. The Goliath roared in agony. It tried to swat Bell, who bounded off to escape. It then threw a blind punch which caught Bell in the chest.

"Bell!" cried Welf, seeing Bell crash to the ground.

Welf ran in and chopped the giant's bad knee. It staggered the monster, keeping it on its knees. Kaz took the chance to reach out with the Drain spell's violet tendrils. He then donated the stolen energy to Bell, who sprang up and fired a Firebolt into the Goliath's forehead wound. They spell bored into the monster's skull, blowing it to pieces in a brilliant explosion. The decapitated giant collapsed with a thud, disintegrating on the way down and leaving behind its magic stone.

Kaz channelled the rest of the stolen energy over the Familia as auras of violet light. It gently restored their health and mind. "Look at that! We did it!" said Welf, pointing to the Goliath's magic stone.

"Oh yes we did!" said Kaz.

"I'll bet that thing is worth a fortune!" said Lili, who ran out and claimed it.

The Hestia Familia returned to F18, to the cheers of the Rivirans once they learned of the Goliath's demise. "Great work, Little Rookie," said Bors.

"Thank you," said Bell.

"Once we get back to the surface, let's head to the Hostess to celebrate," stated Welf.

"No complaints from me," said Kaz.

"Yep, the food there is awesome," said Welf.

"If any of us get a level from our update, that will be a good chance to celebrate," said Bell.

"Then it's decided then?" asked Lili.

"Yep, let's do a few rounds of F17, then rest before heading home," said Bell.

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The Survivors returned to F64, following a tunnel to the west of the Dragonslayer family's cabin. They found themselves in the northern area of a different section of the floor. The room was a perfect circle made out of granite. As they explored, they found that there were ten such rooms in this area. From their unique arrangement, they formed the ten nodes, or Sephirot, of the Tree of Life from Kabballah. The top room, where they entered the area, corresponded to the Sephira of Keter.

They reached the Sephira of Malkhut at the very root of the Tree of Life. There was an opening to a lobby-like area with a flight of stairs up and a sign introducing the floor proper. "To follow the Lichlord Drahcir Toirag, walk the Tree of Life, and achieve enlightenment as he did," read Atsuro.

"The Tree of Life? What does it mean?" asked Yuzu.

Atsuro displayed a map of F64 on his comp. "We have to walk the rooms in a special order in order to make the boss spawn," said Atsuro.

"So it's a puzzle," said Midori.

"Yeah, just follow me," replied Atsuro.

The Survivors entered the first Sephira, Malchut, then proceeded into Yesod, Hod, and Netzah. Once they moved into the centre of Tiferet, a dozen shadowy individuals emerged from the ground. Most were armed with swords and wore armour. Three were armed with staffs and dressed in robes. They looked like the adventurers Kaz had infiltrated. The comp registered them as monsters created by the Dungeon and not real adventurers.

An axe-wielding dwarf shadow swung at Hector the Hecatonchires, a massive, muscular humanoid creature with green flesh, multiple arms, and multiple faces. Hector caught the axe and wrenched it from the dwarf. After tossing it, he then pummelled the dwarf with punches that came so fast that the dwarf was lifted into the air. With a devastating haymaker, he sent the dwarf flying away. It landed on the ground and crumbled.

Tulzcha, a demon resembling a pillar of green flame, advanced to meet an armoured knight. The knight made one swing, only to have the blade pass through the fiery body of Tulzcha. Tulzcha wrapped himself around the knight, grabbing it like a tentacle and tossing it aside. The charred knight crumbled into nothingness, leaving behind only a magic stone. Tulzcha sprayed green flame at the mages in the rear, forcing them to cancel their spells and flee.

Atsuro leapt over the fray, hurling bolts of electricity down at the mages. One of them got struck and disintegrated. Yuzu glided in after her friend, throwing air blades on the way in. One of them sliced through a mage's neck, decapitating him. One by one, the remaining shadow adventurers fell, no match for the might of the Survivors and their demons. After collecting the magic stones for the mine purchase fund, they continued onward.

The Survivors passed through Gevurah, Chesed, Binah, then into Chokhmah, where a dozen more monsters spawned to block them. Unlike the shadows, these creatures were animated black skeletons known as Spartoi Elite. Their magic stones were visible within their rib cages, powering these undead like a heart. Atsuro's yaksini, Viola, ran in while weaving around a Spartoi's overhead chop. She swung across the stomach, cutting through the spine. The Spartoi's torso separated, crumbling and leaving behind its stone.

The Amazonian demon dashed to three more Spartoi, her scimitars felling them with swift lethality. "Great work Viola," said Atsuro.

"Of course," replied Viola. She wrapped her arms around Atsuro. "So, why don't we celebrate later tonight? It will be fun!"

"Sure!" said Atsuro cheerfully.

The Survivors entered the last of the Sephirot, Keter, at the far end of F64. The ground rumbled and a skeletal form, dressed in black robes, emerged from the ground. It was the Lichlord Drahcir Toirag, coming to battle the Survivors with his skull-adorned gold staff. Drahcir opened the battle by spewing bolts of darkness from the staff. The Survivors and demons blocked the attacks, but Drahcir had already started the chant for his first spell.

The Lichlord glowed red with flame. Suspecting a fire spell coming, Midori and Hector ran in front to take the brunt of the attack. They were engulfed by the flames, only to have her and Hector reverse their misfortune and consume the flames within themselves. Drahcir was stunned, but left himself open to Atsuro's Orochi, who snapped at Drahcir's head and took it off with one clean bite. The Lichlord collapsed and dropped his staff and the particularly large magic stone which filled his chest cavity.

Yuzu picked up the stone and examined it. "This looks like it will be worth a lot. It'll give the fund a big boost," remarked Yuzu.

"He dropped his staff too," said Midori, picking it off the ground. "Maybe we can use it later?"

"Sure, let's take everything," replied Atsuro. "I think that's enough for one day. We should head back."

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The next day, the Survivors looked around Sunstone City on F65 of the Dungeon. When the Babelite forces first arrived, they had claimed all of the items in the local stores as supplies. Most of this first haul was worthless, save for the potions, which supplemented medical supplies. As soldiers patrolled the city, they noticed that the stores had restocked. This phenomenon was attributed to the Dungeon's regenerative nature, which spawned lost walls, monsters, and even lost items.

Commander Fushimi had given the Survivors permission to take items that were not needed. This meant they could claim anything that was not a potion of some kind. Midori found an item shop to the southeast, on an island below the main horizontal road. Nobody worked the shop, yet it was perfectly clean and free of dust. On the counter was a case filled with five different seeds. According to her comp, these seeds raised a different stat each, provided the consumer had Falna.

Within the glass, she could see a dozen potions on display. Most were very low value and weak. Three of them were cures for status ailments such as poisoning. Two were mind potions, meant to clear the drinker's mind of fatigue and restore magical power. Since nobody was around to claim ownership, Midori decided to take these potions. Her comp radiated a light onto the objects putting them in a pocket dimension storage.

She left to reunite with the others. "Did you find anything?" asked Atsuro.

"I found stat seeds for adventurers and some potions for the Commander," replied Midori.

Yuzu looked at the comp's readout about the seeds. "Those would help Kaz a lot," said Yuzu. "I found some weapons and armour in a store, but they're normal stuff."

"Okay, let's explore a bit more," said Atsuro.

The Survivors followed the road to the east and came upon Sunstone Castle. Like the town, the castle was abandoned, but in perfect condition with no dust or cobwebs to indicate disuse. It had been converted into a base and barracks by the Babelites. The central court contained a tablet surrounded by a pool of water. "Combine the sun and rain in the Rainbow Shrine and bridge the way to the dragon lord's castle," read Yuzu.

"Hmm, let's keep looking through this castle," said Atsuro. "If we find anything, meet back at this tablet."

The Survivors split up and went separate ways. Yuzu went to the west side of the castle and found the treasury, a fortified stone room with four treasure chests in it. She talked to the Babelite guards, who allowed her in to open the chests. They found gold coins worth 10 million Valis inside. She collected them in her comp for the mine purchase fund. "More money! At this rate, we'll raise the funds in no time," Yuzu though to herself.

In the meantime, Atsuro found himself searching the southeast exterior of the castle. He noticed something hidden behind some bushes by a pond. When he went to look, he found a staircase down. The stairs led into a small cellar with a single chest in it, which he opened. It contained a stone which glowed brightly like the sun. It was blinding and hard to look at. Atsuro suspected that this must be the "sun" mentioned in the tablet.

He brought the stone to his friends. "That thing's so bright!" said Midori, trying not to look at it directly.

"I think we're done here. Let's find the rain," said Yuzu.

The Survivors released demons to scout by air. When they returned, they reported three areas of note. The first was a shrine far to the northeast, which was under constant rainfall. The second was a shrine with a rainbow above it, far to the southeast. The last was a dark castle just beyond the channel in the near southeast. The dark castle was on a mountainous island and surrounded by putrid, toxic marshes. It was likely the dragon lord's castle mentioned on the tablet.

The Survivors flew to the Rain Shrine and found a wooden staff sanctified on an altar, which they claimed. It felt moist to the touch, like it had been doused in the rain recently. They travelled to the second shrine, the Rainbow Shrine, and found another altar. They put both the glowing Sun Stone and the moist Rain Staff onto this altar. The two items glowed, then merged to form a gemstone which was like an iridescent teardrop in appearance.

The Survivors took the gemstone to the northwest where they discovered two peninsulas. They were separated by the channel below. One was connected to the dark castle's island and pointed east. The other was connected to the mainland and pointed west. From the mainland's peninsula, Atsuro held the iridescent teardrop to the sky. Suddenly, a rainbow joined the two peninsulas together like a bridge.

Atsuro stepped on the rainbow and found it solid enough to stand on. "A rainbow bridge," remarked Atsuro as he tested it further by walking over it.

"I'm surprised this thing can hold up under our weight," said Yuzu, tentatively stepping on the rainbow to test its solidity.

The Survivors flew to the entrance of the dark castle, over the toxic, moat-like marshes and landed on the battlements. They entered the castle through a tower and worked their way downstairs to the throne room. They discovered a staircase hidden behind the vacant throne. They followed the stairs down to the basement. A small hallway led north, where they found a set of red double doors with brass hinges. Behind them was a small treasury with six chests within.

Yuzu opened them and found they all contained golden coins. They were worth 10 million Valis in total. "You're rich Yuzu!" said Midori.

"Would you mind sharing a bit of that money with your dear friend Atsuro?" asked Atsuro.

"Cut it out you guys!" said Yuzu.

The Survivors backtracked to the stairs, then went south and made a counterclockwise path following the basement halls. They entered a ruined area of the castle and eventually found a large chamber with a single throne in it. As soon as they approached the throne, a massive violet dragon bust through a wall. "Dragon!" said Yuzu.

"It looks like a Fafnir, so we'll call him that," said Atsuro.

Fafnir took a deep breath and expelled flame from its mouth. Midori and her demons rushed forward and took the attack head on. The four absorbed the flames, restoring their stamina. Atsuro hurled ball lightning, striking and staggering Fafnir. Viola rushed ahead, coating her weapons with ice. She threw a flurry of slashes, opening cuts which were froze solid. Fafnir growled in pain. It turned to Viola and clawed at her. She tried to block with cross scimitars, but got tossed into the ground.

Yuzu cast the Luster Candy spell over her team. They were empowered by orbiting globes of red, blue, and green, feeling lighter and stronger. Yuzu hurled wind blades at Fafnir, slicing gashes into its body. It tried to breathe fire again, but Tulzcha moved into the fire's path and absorbed everything. Tulzcha then whipped around Fafnir's legs. He tried to pull the dragon down, but it resisted the takedown attempt. Yuzu hurled a wind blade into Fafnir's exposed neck, decapitating it.

The dragon left behind a giant magic stone which Atsuro placed into pocket dimension storage. "Nice! This thing will make our wallets nice and fat," remarked Atsuro.

Midori looked behind Fafnir's throne, noticing a flight of stairs hidden behind it. "Hey guys, the stairs are back here again. Let's go!" she said, waving her friends to come.

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The next floor, F66, was a bleak, darkened land straight out of a Gothic horror story. The sky was a drab grey from the numerous clouds which blotted out the sun. Many of the trees had shed their leaves, leaving their branches bare and gnarled. Upon leaving the staircase, they came upon a small, abandoned town of brick and mortar buildings. According to the sign, this was the town of Jove. They entered the square, where they found a large tablet erected as a monument.

"Ages ago, Vlad had cursed this land with the blackest magic. A hero from a noble clan rose up and defeated him. He travelled the land and retrieved the vampire's remains from five bastions of evil. He reassembled the vampire in the halls of his dark castle and slew the dark prince once and for all," read Atsuro.

"So, we're going piece together a vampire and fight him? Ew!" remarked Yuzu.

"Let's send the demons out to recon," said Atsuro.

The Survivors headed to the roof of a house, where they released aerial demons like Vidofnir. The golden rooster flew around and caught a good view of the lay of the land, returning a few minutes later. The Survivors pieced the information together on their comps and found the location of five mansions built in remote locations in the wilderness. These mansions formed the points of a star, or rather a pentagram, when plotted on a map. The nearest mansion was west of Jove Town and formed the left arm of the pentagram.

The Survivors flew to that location and found a dilapidated building. They could feel the malign influence of dark magic originating from the building. As soon as they entered the foyer, a group of bats descended on the group. The bats gnawed at the group, trying to draw blood and drink it. Midori ignited an aura of flames, searing several bats who were biting her. Yuzu whipped up a tornado which sucked in and battered the dozens which remained, until all were dead.

Several magic stones now littered the ground, which Yuzu gathered in pocket dimension storage. Midori started casting healing, or Dia, spells upon her team. Each glowed with white light which sealed their cuts and scrapes. "Vampire bats," remarked Atsuro. "Go figure..."

The Survivors soon reached a room with the bones of several prisoners chained to the walls. The far end had a pedestal on top of a dais. On this pedestal was a violet orb which contained a single rib bone. Scanning the orb revealed that it was a magical construct used to protect the rib. The rib bone itself radiated dark magic and was determined by the comps to had come from a vampire originally.

Atsuro pushed his hand through the orb and pulled out the rib. He put it into pocket dimension storage for safekeeping. "One down, four to go," said Midori.

The group flew to the second mansion, equally in disrepair as the first. It formed the pentagram's head. After a journey to the inner chamber, they found an eyeball, complete with dangling veins and arteries, protected within an orb. "Ew! I'm not touching that!" said Yuzu, seeing its vacant gaze.

"Fine, I'll get it," said Atsuro with exasperation. He put on a pair of gloves to secure the eye.

As soon as they left the room, the mansion started to shake. "Is it an earthquake?" asked Yuzu.

"No, an enemy!" said Atsuro.

A bony figure in black robes emerged from the ground in the vacant previous chamber. It carried a sharp scythe in its hands and its skull glared with pure malice. The Reaper formed a small sickle and hurled it like a spinning saw blade. The Survivors quickly dodged. "Now we have to fight the Grim Reaper? This isn't my day," remarked Yuzu.

The Reaper formed more sickles and sent them at the team. While others avoided them, Tulzcha succeeded in catching one by the handle and reduced it to ash and molten metal. He then lunged at the Reaper and coiled around its body like a whip. The Reaper struggled, burnt by the green flame, but managed to break free. The Reaper formed a scythe and swung at Tulzcha, but the scythe passed through his body like air. Viola plunged swords into its back. The Reaper flailed about in agony, throwing off Viola.

Midori blitzed the Reaper with bursts holy light. The Reaper disintegrated into nothingness, leaving behind only a magic stone. "Phew, we got through that one," said Yuzu.

The Survivors swept through two more mansions, forming the right arm and right leg of the pentagram. From the first mansion, they had acquired a gold ring set with a crimson stone. They acquired a still-beating heart from the second. The last mansion, the left leg of the pentagram, contained Vlad's nail. With the body parts together, the Survivors flew to a castle at the centre of the pentagram of mansions. This dark structure radiated evil with its very being.

The Survivors landed on the front door of the keep. It was the highest point of the vampire castle and seemed to float in the air, without nothing but magic to keep it suspended. Only a flight of stairs connected it to the nearby tower. In the keep was a single chamber with a lone coffin, open to the crescent moon behind the window. When Atsuro placed the remains of Vlad in the coffin, mist filled the container, connecting the body parts like flesh and blood.

A man with a black hair, pale skin, sharp fangs, and a widow's peak took form in the coffin. The man wore the black garb of nobility and a black cape that was red on its interior. He was Vlad, the vampire who had terrorized the land in the past. Vlad bolted out of the coffin to grab Atsuro. The Survivor weaved around Vlad's arm, grabbing and tossing him at a wall, smashing an indentation into it. Vlad vanished in a puff of mist.

They group sensed him behind, where he hurled a fireball at each member. They evaded them, but Midori and her demons absorbed theirs, using the fireballs for refreshment. Before they could retaliate, Vlad vanished again. He reappeared in a new location and hurled another fireball at each Survivor and demon. They all evaded or otherwise blunted the attack. Again, Vlad vanished before any of them could launch a counter attack.

Midori formed flame in hand for retaliation, but Vlad vanished. "This is annoying! He keeps disappearing before we can hit back!" said Midori, absorbing another fireball.

"I think I see a pattern..." said Yuzu, dodging her fireball. "Now!"

She turned around and hurled an air blade, right at Vlad's head, decapitating the vampire. His headless body slumped to the ground in a heap. From Vlad's body arose a monstrous, gargoyle-like demon. It took to the air and spit fireballs down at the team. They evaded, but Hector absorbed his fireball, then pounced onto Vlad. He held on and pummelled Vlad until the vampire was forced to land. Vlad threw off Hector, but was soon met by combined attacks from the Survivors.

Vlad got pummelled by fire, wind, and electricity. He crumbed into nothingness, leaving behind a large magic stone, as well as his ring and a rib bone. Atsuro collected these items. "We killed the vampire. Now, where is the way down?" asked Yuzu.

"Let's explore the castle further, it must be around somewhere here," replied Atsuro.

The Survivors explored the vampire's castle from the battlements to a still functioning, gear-filled clock tower. They also explored its entry hallway but found nothing in any of these locations. When they scouted the skeleton-filled dungeon, they found a staircase down into the castle's underground waterway. It was an area of Roman architecture, bridge-like structures with stone supports which transported water across the bowels of the castle.

They reached a rocky wall with a tunnel which led deeper into the Dungeon. "Okay, we know the way to the next floor," said Yuzu. "I want to go home now. We've been at it for hours now."

"Yeah, let's head home. Now that we know the way, we can get through it quickly," said Midori.

 **END OF CHAPTER**


	6. Chaos 06 - The Two Mages

Disclaimer:  
DanMachi was created by Fujino Omori. Shin Megami Tensei was created by Atlus. This story uses reference material from them.

 **Demons of the Dungeon  
By: RB3  
Chaos in Orario 6: The Two Mages**

The Hestia Familia finished their tour of F17 and returned to the surface with a backpack filled to the brim with magic stones. When Lili cashed them in along with the Goliath's giant stone, they collected nearly 10M Valis, the largest haul they've ever seen in a single trip. The Hestia Familia returned to the church, where Hestia embraced Bell. "I'm glad you're safe," said Hestia.

"We wouldn't abandon you, Goddess," said Bell.

"Nope, and today, we brought back Valis, lots of Valis," said Lili.

The Familia gathered in the congregation area, where Lili placed the bag of gold coins on the front dais. Hestia looked over the massive sack of Valis, all of which were high denomination coins. She could hear the 'cha-ching' of a cash register as she gazed upon this pile of money. "Oh yes! Money, money, money!" chirped Hestia.

"You know, now that we're rich, we should consider repairing the church," suggested Kaz. "This place could use a touch up."

"It's only fair that we all contribute," said Welf.

"We'd need an estimate, but yeah... Our Familia is getting bigger. Soon, this church will be too small to hold everyone. I want to make it into a Familia meeting hall we can all be proud of," said Hestia.

"There's no rush, Goddess," said Kaz. "Take your time and do it right."

"Mmmhmm," replied Hestia. "I have some news. While you were away, I attended a Denatus."

"A Denatus? Like a meeting?" asked Kaz.

"Yes, they're held every quarter. We gave out new aliases for our Familia members," said Hestia. "Welf, you will be known as 'Ignis.'"

"Okay, it must be that time I talked to her, right before I joined you guys," said Welf.

"Kaz, they now call you the 'Ice Cold Sculptor.' The gods and goddesses who saw your tricks at the Hostess all agreed to give you that name," said Hestia.

"Okay, I can live with that. It's not far from the truth," said Kaz.

"That's it," said Hestia. "I have more news. It's about the murders and the guys they caught from the Apollo Familia. The Guild could not find any evidence to suggest that Apollo or his officers were involved in Herman Cortez's cult. It seems Cortez was behind everything."

"Yeah, but people will continue to be suspicious," said Welf. "I would be too."

"There's more. Cortez's cult was dedicated to a demonic version of the god, Quetzalcoatl," said Hestia. "The gods have grown concerned about demons getting into the mortal world. They've sent out an alert to watch for anything that might suggest demonic or cult activity in Orario. Also, there was talk about a vigilante who helped bust the cult."

"A vigilante?" asked Kaz.

"Yes, they call him the Masked Mage," replied Hestia. "He stormed the hideout and rescued their next sacrifice before the guards could arrive. The gods want to question him about the demons and the cult."

"I see," said Kaz.

"Goddess, please update my Falna," requested Bell.

"Did something happen in the Dungeon?" asked Hestia.

"We beat the Goliath on F17," replied Bell.

"The Floor Boss? Oh wow! Come into my room. I gotta take a look!" said Hestia. Bell followed Hestia to her room, where he removed his shirt and lay prone on the bed.

 **Bell Cranel**  
Lv 2 - 3

Str: SS - I  
Vit: SS - I  
Dex: SS - I  
Agi: SSS - I  
Mag: A - I

 **Skill**  
Realis Phrase (fast growth related to feelings)  
Argonaut (charge up for powerful attack)  
Giant Slayer (+stats vs giants & large opponents)

 **Magic**  
Firebolt (shoot a bolt of flame)

 **Dev Abilities**  
Status Resist G (avoid being affected by status ailments)  
Luck G (small chance that events go user's way)

"Nice work Bell, Lv3!" said Hestia, as she prepared a sheet for him to read. "You got the Giant Slayer skill. You must had gotten this one from killing two Goliaths."

"Yeah, I wanted to settle a score," replied Bell.

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Bell and the rest of the Familia went to the Pantheon to report their latest updates to the Guild. "Lv3?" asked Eina. "You're Lv3 now?"

"Yeah," replied Bell, chuckling about how quickly things have changed.

"It was just last month you were Lv2!" said Eina.

"I've been working hard," said Bell. "We have more updates from our goddess."

The others handed their stat sheets to Eina for her to evaluate. "Okay, you can go up to F36, with the current status of your Familia," said Eina.

"Thank you Eina," said Bell.

Just as the Familia was walking out, a Guild member posted a new bulletin upon the board. "What's going on?" asked Welf, seeing all the adventurers crowd around the notice.

Kaz, already present to see the notice, separated from the crowd to address Welf. "Another murder," he replied.

"Wait a minute... Didn't they catch that guy from the Apollo Familia?" asked Bell.

"Yeah, but this one's different. It says here that the body was found in a sewer in the red light district. Rumours have it that it was shrivelled up and dried out like a husk," replied Kaz. "The victim still had his heart, so it must be a new murderer."

"It seems like there's more murders lately and all of them are gruesome," remarked Welf.

"Did they say who was the victim?" asked Lili.

"His face was too mangled, but his Falna came from Soma," replied Kaz.

"I've had enough. Let's talk about this later," said Bell.

"Yeah..." said Kaz.

Kaz thought about this new murder. It could not be Quetzalcoatl, since the body was in a different condition and Abel had destroyed the Aztec god. Instead, this new murder looked like the work of a demon from the Night family. This family of demons was known for skulking around during the dark hours, especially to hunt humans and drain their life for nourishment. Such demons included vampires and succubi, and at least one such demon was prowling Orario.

As Kaz left the Pantheon, he noticed Bell running down the street. "What's he up to?" Kaz asked to himself.

Bell had entered the red light or Entertainment District of Orario. It was filled with brothels and strip joints advertising the hottest girls for their lecherous clientele. When Bell had arrived, the sun was starting to set and night was about to claim the land. Numerous scantily clad girls started to take to the streets to begin advertising their services. One of them blew a kiss at him when she saw Bell in the area.

"Hey handsome, why don't we go somewhere private and have a little fun?" asked the prostitute.

Bell ignored her and noticed his target, Mikoto Yamato, approach a building. It was a brothel named Yukaku with a Far Eastern theme. "Wait!" cried Bell.

Mikoto had not heard him as she entered the brothel. As Bell came over, Mikoto came out, shocked to see Bell there. "Bell? What are you doing here?" Mikoto asked.

"I'd ask you the same thing," replied Bell. "I saw you running around, so I followed you."

"I heard that a friend of mine had been seen here," said Mikoto. "Her name is Haruhime Sanjouno. Have you seen her?"

Mikoto had given Bell a picture of her friend, which Bell examined carefully. Haruhime was a beautiful woman with blonde hair and a fox's ears on her head. "She's a Renard?" asked Bell.

"Yes," replied Mikoto. "We've been friends since we were kids. I heard she was in the area, so I came to ask around. The clues led me to Yukaku, but they told me that she had been missing since a week ago."

"I see, I'll help you ask around. I hope we find her soon. I don't like the look of this place," said Bell.

"You will? Thanks Bell, I owe you one," said Mikoto.

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The sun started to set over Orario, casting a crimson glow across the land. At the top of the Babel Tower, a silver-haired goddess sat on her throne. She was a buxom woman with a perfectly proportioned body covered by a black, scant dress. She was Freya, goddess of love, and one of the most beautiful women to exist. She was also the head of one of the mightiest Familia in the world. Freya sipped the red wine within her glass.

In her presence was a tall muscular man with tanned skin, unkempt hair, and boar-like ears. He was Ottar, the mightiest individual adventurer at Lv7. "What is the status of our rivals?" asked Freya.

"They are scouring the Entertainment District for a missing member," replied Ottar. "This will get complicated since our future recruit is also in the area."

"Yes, Ishtar would dearly love to get her hands on my Bell," said Freya.

"Also, it seems that the Ice Cold Sculptor is gathering friends to go look for him," said Ottar. "What should we do about him?"

"For now, leave him be," replied Freya.

"Are you sure about that, milady?" asked Ottar. "You told me you saw a dark presence looking for you when you first saw him."

"Yes," replied Freya. "So far, it has not made any overt moves against us or Bell. For now, we'll focus on ensuring that Ishtar does not get her hands on Bell."

"Aye milady," said Ottar.

Night had fallen over Orario and the lights of houses glimmered like stars. Abel moved across the countryside of Orario, clearing vast distances in one teleport. He reached the top of a lookout tower in the eastern wall of Orario, then blinked away again. He appeared on the roof of a brothel in the red light district and reached out with his sixth sense. He could not detect anything at the moment, but that did not deter him from continuing his scan.

After several minutes, he detected the usage of Amalan magic, the kind he and the demons used, from a location a kilometre to the south. He teleported onto the roof of the building closest to the source. It was a home that had been boarded up and abandoned. He scanned the building and detected the presence of three demons within. The three were all succubi, demons who had the form of beautiful women.

Abel was quite familiar with them as he had Scarlet, a succubus herself, under contract. "Abel darling, are you going to fight those succubi?" asked Scarlet telepathically.

"Yeah," replied Abel in the same manner.

"I won't let them steal your energy," said Scarlet, wrapping her arms around Abel to hug him. "It's for me and Yuzu only!"

"I'm glad to have you with me," said Abel, kissing Scarlet. "Let's go."

Abel noticed an open window on the first floor that was not as boarded up as the rest. He teleported in through that window and saw a blonde succubus relaxing in the den of the house. Abel blasted her with a beam of violet, almighty energy. She got slammed against a wall, knocking her chair down in the process. The sound from the impact drew a second succubus over to investigate. Before she could pounce on Abel, Scarlet popped up behind her and raked her with fingernails.

Abel noticed and turned his arm into a vine and wound it around the enemy succubus. With one swing, he had tossed her into the stone wall. The impact was so hard that he had smashed the succubus through the wall, alarming Bell and Mikoto, who were just a few feet outside. The succubus landed in front of them, then crumbled into darkness. "Come on, something's going on in there!" said Bell.

The first succubus recovered enough to charge, but Abel merely blasted her away with another almighty beam. When the third came downstairs to investigate, he blasted her to nothingness as well. Bell entered the hole to investigate the commotion. Abel noticed and vanished before Bell and Mikoto could do anything. "What was that about?" asked Mikoto. "Who was that man in black?"

"Look around, we might find a clue," said Bell.

He went to the upper floor and heard a muffled voice trying to call out to him. He tracked the voice to one of the rooms and found the girl from Mikoto's picture. She was tied onto the bed by its posts and her red kimono had been parted open, revealing ample cleavage. Bell removed the gag over her mouth. "Thank you, whoever you are. They were going to rape me!" said Haruhime.

"I'm here to help. Are you Haruhime Sanjouno?" asked Bell.

"Yes," replied the fox girl. "Who are you?"

"I'm Bell Cranel. I came with a friend to look for you," replied Bell.

"Oh wow! I never thought this day would come. I always hoped that a hero would come to my rescue, but no one ever did. I'm just a prostitute," said Haruhime. Haruhime noticed that Mikoto had entered the room. "Mikoto!"

"Hey! I'm glad to see you. When I heard you were here, I got worried and came to find you," said Mikoto. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm weak, but I'll be fine. I'm glad you came to help me, but you have to take me back," said Haruhime.

Bell untied Haruhime's ropes. "Take you back? Where?" asked Bell.

"To the Ishtar Familia," replied Haruhime. "I'm one of their members. I can't leave."

"How did you end up in the Ishtar Familia?" asked Mikoto.

"A long story..." replied Haruhime. "A lot of things happened since I was taken from the Far East. Ishtar bought my contract and I've been in her Familia since."

"Why don't you convert?" asked Mikoto. "Lord Take Mikazuchi would welcome you."

"She'd never let me. I'm kept like a prisoner in her Familia," replied Haruhime.

"We'll buy your contract. We'll let Ishtar name her price, then we'll pay it," said Bell.

"Thank you Bell, but she'll never accept," said Haruhime. "Please take me back. Don't throw away everything just for me."

"No, we'll find a way," said Bell. "Let's get out of here for now."

Bell helped Haruhime rise to her feet and leave the building. As soon as they stepped out onto the street, they were surrounded by amazons. They were attractive, toned women with tanned complexions and dressed in scanty clothing. Amazons were a single sex race who needed to search outside for male reproductive partners. They were stronger than many human men. They often became adventurers and had that strength being reflected in the Falna.

The leader of the group was a lecherous, well-endowed woman who wore a barrette and several gold necklaces. "Well, what do we have here?" asked the leader.

"You're a goddess..." said Bell.

"I'm Ishtar, and this is my Familia. A little bird told me that some people had wandered into my part of town. I go looking and what do I find? The Little Rookie and my missing Renard," said the goddess.

"I'm not letting you take her," said Bell.

"Neither will I," said Mikoto.

"You wanna fight? They may not look like it, but several of my girls are Lv3. If I remember correctly, you're Lv3, your partner Lv2, and Haruhime is Lv1. You're outnumbered and outgunned. You don't stand a chance against us," said Ishtar. "Throw down your weapons and surrender."

"Please do it," said Haruhime. "I don't want to see you get hurt. We've only known each other for a short time, but you've shown me you're a true friend."

"Fine..." said Bell, discarding his daggers and kicking them to Ishtar. Mikoto did the same.

"Wise move," said Ishtar. "We'll take good care you."

The amazons tied up Bell, Mikoto, and Haruhime and led them to the largest building in the red light district. It was a veritable skyscraper of a building. It was the home of the Ishtar Familia, the Belit Babili. Once inside the apartment lobby, the amazons separated Bell from the group and brought him up to Ishtar's personal quarters. The amazons pinned Bell to Ishtar's bed while Ishtar disrobed in front of him, making sure he got a good glimpse of her naked body.

Bell struggled against his captors, trying to kick out and wrench his arms free. "Your will is strong. Any other man who saw me naked would be welcoming my body by now," said Ishtar. "Let me see his stats."

The amazons tore off Bell's shirt and flipped him around. After taking a look, Ishtar noticed his Realis Phrase skill and the source of its power. Ishtar dropped her jaw in shock. Bell broke out of his captors' grip and bolted for the door. She and the amazons followed him down the apartment. They all ran straight into a beautiful woman with silver hair. She was in heels and a black dress with red edges which revealed a perfect feminine figure. She was Freya.

Everyone stopped upon seeing Freya in the hall. "Goddess Freya?" asked Bell.

"Keep going. I'll take over from here," said Freya. Bell ran by as instructed. "...And Bell, I love you."

Bell was taken aback by such a forward declaration before and fleeing the scene. He ran down dozens of staircases to the ground floor of the Ishtar home. In the lobby, he found numerous amazons sprawled on the ground. Mikoto was there, seated on a slashed sofa with several cuts and bruises. A man was with her, and he had boar-like ears and a heavily muscular build. This Boaz was Ottar, the strongest adventurer alive at Lv7, and a member of Freya's Familia.

Ottar was spraying healing medication over Mikoto's cuts and bruises. "That was courageous of you to fight off that many powerful foes," said Ottar. He then noticed Bell. "Ah Bell Cranel, the Little Rookie... I'm glad to see you safe. Please take this elixir. I need to attend to my goddess."

Ottar pressed the bottle into Bell's hands. "Thank you Ottar, I will take care of Mikoto," said Bell.

"Bell, I managed to retrieve your weapons," said Mikoto, who returned a pair of daggers to Bell.

"Thank you Mikoto. How did you get free and where's Haruhime?" asked Bell.

"One of Haruhime's friends from the Familia had freed me. She told me they're planning to sacrifice her to make a Killing Stone," said Mikoto. "We have to hurry! The site is next door."

A Killing Stone was a magical artefact which allowed the owner to use a spell known by a Renard. The ritual used to make one effectively trapped the soul of the Renard within the stone. While the soul could be returned, it was not guaranteed. Since Renards could learn rare magic, many gods wanted to lure Renards into their Familia, or sacrifice them to make a Killing Stone. As a result, the Guild had outlawed Killing Stones.

Bell and Mikoto ran into a lot that neighboured the Belit Babili. It was sealed by a cement wall which ran along the perimeter. It had only two doors, one of which connected to the Belit Babili, the other to the street. There was a stone altar in the centre with two circular pedestals flanking it. Each pedestal contained a stone on it, placed carefully in position for a Killing Stone ritual. The altar was exposed to the moonlight and allowed the captive Haruhime to bask in its light.

Numerous amazons were strewn on the ground. Bell's Familia was there, as was Mikoto's. After they checked Haruhime, Kaz smashed the stones while Lili cut Haruhime loose. "Everybody!" cried Bell.

"Bell!" cried Welf. "I'm glad you're okay, buddy!"

"Yeah, how did you guys know we were here?" asked Bell.

"Kaz saw you run into the red light district," replied Lili. "When you didn't come back, we formed a search party and bumped into the Take Mikazuchi Familia. When we saw the fighting break out in the red light district, we guessed you were in the middle of it."

"You're hurt, Mikoto!" said the stern male officer of the Mikazuchi Familia, Ouka.

"Ottar gave us medicine for her," said Bell, who passed the medicine to Ouka.

At that moment, a trailing scream came from near the apartment. The group saw the naked Ishtar crash to the ground after a multistorey drop from atop the Belit Babili. She glowed with pink light and vanished. "That was Ishtar!" said Bell. He looked up and saw a figure on the roof above, but the distance made it impossible to identify the person.

"We need to get out of here," said Kaz. "The fighting's getting worse."

The Hestia and Take Mikazuchi Familia ran to the north, far from the conflict in the red light district. Once they reached Babel Tower, they continued on to Hestia's church, where the goddess was waiting for the combined search party to return. "We'll take Haruhime in for the night," said Bell. "Don't worry about her. She'll be safe with us."

"Okay," said Ouka. "Please take good care of her."

The Take Mikazuchi Familia made the trek home. "It's about time we hit the sack too," said Kaz.

Everyone left, leaving Haruhime with Bell and Hestia. The Familia founders laid out a sleeping bag for Haruhime to rest for the night. They prepared items and consumables such as a toothbrush and toothpaste, as well as towels for grooming herself. Haruhime got settled in and groomed herself from her sudden, unexpected escape from the Ishtar Familia. The next day, Haruhime met Hestia in the congregation area.

"Goddess Hestia, please allow me to join your Familia," requested Haruhime.

"You want to join my Familia?" asked Hestia. "Wouldn't you rather join your friends and Take Mikazuchi?"

"I know, but I owe Bell for rescuing me," replied Haruhime. "I want to repay him for his trouble, even for a defiled girl like me."

"It wasn't just me. Mikoto was there, and so was the Masked Mage," said Bell.

"The Masked Mage? You saw the Masked Mage?" asked Hestia.

"Yeah, he beat up the demons, then vanished," replied Bell. "That was when I found Haruhime."

"Let me repay you Master Bell," said Haruhime. "Please Goddess, let me join your Familia."

"Hold on, aren't you still with Ishtar?" asked Hestia.

"Ishtar is gone. We saw her fall to her death. Her Arcanum triggered and took her back to Heaven," said Bell.

"That means her Falna has been disabled. Okay Haruhime, let's go to my room. I need to check your Falna," said Hestia. Once in Hestia's room, Haruhime removed her kimono, exposing her back and Ishtar's Falna, a tattoo of a naked woman. The tattoo had become faded by the demise of its creator. "I can give you a new Falna. Please lie down on my bed."

Haruhime did as asked. Hestia pricked her finger and ran a trail of blood along Haruhime's back. The tattoo of the naked woman vanished and became replaced by the brazier of Hestia. She pressed a piece of parchment against the tattoo which copied Haruhime's information onto the paper. Hestia gave the parchment to Haruhime for analysis. From what Hestia had seen, Haruhime had unique abilities from being a Renard, a fox-like demihuman from the Far East.

 **Haruhime Sanjouno**  
Lv 1

Str: I  
Vit: I  
Dex: I  
Agi: I  
Mgc: E

 **Magic**  
Uchide no Kozuchi (grant 1 temporary level to target with Falna other than self, cooldown)  
Uga no Mitama (create illusionary monsters, strength varies with Lv and Mgc stat)

Uchide no Kozuchi was Haruhime's signature spell. Haruhime always felt small and worthless, especially since she had been a prostitute and a prisoner under Ishtar. This spell allowed her at least a small sense of self worth. In fact, granting temporary levels was one of the most powerful, rare, and highly desirable abilities that Hestia had ever known. Each level was a great performance boost, but were hard to acquire.

Uga no Mitama was a new spell, recently gained with Haruhime's conversion to the Hestia Familia. In the Ishtar Familia, Haruhime was constantly watched and had her movements heavily restricted. With the exception of a certain amazon, she had no friends. This longing caused her to develop a spell which let her create allies, or at least the illusion of friends, whenever she wanted. Seeing Haruhime's capabilities, Hestia could not believe her luck lately. The one drawback was that Haruhime was a new rival for Bell.

"I have the feeling that Ishtar never used you as anything but an Uchide no Kozuchi dispenser. That will change in my Familia," said Hestia. "You even gained a new ability simply by joining us. Just so you know, these are some rare abilities. Please don't talk about this outside of the Familia."

Haruhime took the Falna sheet from Hestia and took a quick glance. "Okay," replied Haruhime.

"Yeah, also, ask Lili about getting supporter training," said Hestia.

"Okay, I'll talk to her tomorrow," said Haruhime. "Thank you, Goddess, for all that you've done."

Hestia and Haruhime returned to the dining area. "Bell, can you tell me anything more about the Masked Mage?" asked Hestia.

"There's not much I can say. Mikoto and I saw him blast one of the demons through a wall, so we went over to look. By the time we got there, he had taken out the other demons and left," replied Bell.

"I see. He has quite a vendetta against demons," remarked Hestia. "We won't find out much just thinking about it. Let's think about it later."

 **END OF CHAPTER**


	7. Chaos 07 - Close Encounters

Disclaimer:  
DanMachi was created by Fujino Omori. Shin Megami Tensei was created by Atlus. This story uses reference material from them.

 **Demons of the Dungeon  
By: RB3  
Chaos in Orario 7: Close Encounters of the Demonic Kind**

A week later, the Hestia Familia met at their church to discuss their next major trip into the Dungeon. "So we all agree, we're going to F21, right?" asked Lili, looking over the convoluted maps of F19 to F21.

"Yep," said Welf. "It's hard for me to get good materials on my budget. I could use the minerals down there."

"Will you be okay going so deep down there, Haruhime?" asked Kaz.

"Don't worry. I have some experience with the Dungeon already. The Ishtar Familia took me as far as F45," replied Haruhime. "Plus, I was trained to be a supporter by the best."

"Yep, I taught Haruhime everything I know. She's ready," replied Lili. "Okay, what else do we need before we go down there?"

"I'll need a pickaxe to mine the minerals," replied Welf. "I can make my own, but I'd need more materials for that. I'll go down to the forges later to get some more."

"Okay," replied Lili. "Everything looks good."

The Hestia Familia split up to make their final preparations. Welf went to the northeastern part of Orario. This area was filled with forges of the Hephaestus Familia, Welf's previous Familia. He entered his old forge and purchased wood for handles and metal to shape into the blade portion of his picks. "Oh, hi Welf, how have ya been doing?" asked a young, black-haired smith.

"Hi Andy!" replied Welf. "I've got a big expedition to F21 coming up. I'm going to mine there."

"Oh! That's great! There are a lot of good metals there," replied Andy. Suddenly, a whistle started screeching. "Lunch time!"

"Heading out to the food court again?" asked Welf.

"Yep," said Andy.

"I've gotta go myself. I need to get these picks made for the big day," said Welf. "See ya later!"

Welf left the Hephaestus forge and made his way back to his own forge. Andy separated from the workers, saying his goodbyes before washing up and taking his lunch box to the outdoor food court across the street. He had ordered a cup of coffee at the local cafe and went to a table to eat. Once finished, he disposed of his garbage in a can. As he walked away, he heard something stirring in an alley between restaurants.

He saw a cat run off and a 1000 Valis gold coin roll along the ground. He chased the coin into the alley and vanished into thin air. Two days later, the Hestia Familia gathered by a fountain to prepare for the trip. A hour passed, but Welf had not arrived yet. "Where is he?" asked Bell. "It's not like him to be late."

As though responding to his words, Welf came running down the street, out of breath. "Where were you?" asked Lili.

"The guards stopped by my place," replied Welf.

"The guards? Why?" asked Bell.

"One of my friends was found dead in an alley," replied Welf.

Kaz, who was seated at the fountain's side, bolted up standing. "Did they think you had something to do with it?"

"No, fortunately, but I saw Andy before he died," replied Welf. "The guards wanted to ask me some questions."

"How did it happen?" asked Bell.

"A few days ago, I went to his forge to pick up supplies," replied Welf. "I didn't see what happened after that, but Andy told me he was going to eat lunch nearby at the food court. I would've joined him, but I was in a hurry to get home."

"Will you be okay, Welf? He was a friend and all," said Bell.

"I'll be fine. We've wanted to do this for a while now. I won't let a friend's death stop us. I'm sure someone will get the bastard who did this and make him pay," said Welf.

The Hestia Familia entered the Dungeon and reached F17, just one floor from the safe zone. The trip was largely uneventful, save for the occasional monster attack which got dealt with swiftly and efficiently. When they entered a large rock chamber, a group of small, snowmen-like creatures also came in the other end at the same time. Each of these creatures wore a blue jester's cap, matching neck ornament, and matching boots. They did not look like any known monster in this stratum of the Dungeon.

"What are those things?" asked Welf.

"Hee ho!" chirped one of the snow men. "Jack Frost here to play!"

The Jack Frosts advanced and blew a blizzard upon the Hestia Familia. The group cowered as the ice and snow slapped their faces. Kaz absorbed the ice and snow, coming through unfazed. He erected a wall of ice between the Jack Frosts and his Familia. "At least we're out of the cold," said Bell.

"My wall won't hold. I can feel them absorbing my ice. We're seconds from them getting through," said Kaz.

"They're ice, so they must hate fire," said Welf. "So light 'em up Bell!"

"I'll cover everyone as best I can, but my magic can't harm them. I can only slow them down," said Kaz.

"Okay," said Bell.

"That's good enough," said Lili.

The Hestia Familia drew weapons. As soon as the first Jack Frost breached the ice wall, Bell was upon it, slashing it to death. Nearby, another got through, but Welf closed and hacked it down. Three more Jack Frosts breached the wall. They blew ice and snow upon the two fighters, blowing them off their feet. They then directed their ice upon the rest. With the exception of Kaz, they left everyone on the ground, covered in frost.

Kaz weathered the onslaught and steered the streams of ice and snow towards his hands. He moved to the side, drawing the torrent away from his allies. It was the opening Bell and Welf needed to get back on their feet. They pounced on the two nearest Frosts, cutting them down. The other Frost tried to breathe on them, but Kaz steered the ice stream towards himself and absorbed it. By now, the remaining Frosts had breached Kaz's wall.

Lili fired a volley of arrows at them. They were riddled with arrows and stunned, stalling their advance. Haruhime created an illusionary Baby Dragon and sicced it at the Frosts. It looked like the real thing, but was translucent with an internal blue flame animating it. It spewed flame which melted several Frosts. It also confirmed suspicions about their weakness. The remaining Frosts focused on the dragon, pummelling it with ice and snow. The dragon vanished into thin air, its flame of life dissipated by the attacks.

Bell peppered the enemy ranks with Firebolts. Most were destroyed, but the three Frosts who survived were partially melted from the heat. Welf ran to them and cut down the last of the Frosts with a whirlwind of sword strikes. "Good work," said Lili.

"They didn't feel like any of the monsters I've ever fought," said Bell.

"I think they were demons, like the one Herman Cortez worshipped," said Welf.

"I don't like the sound of that," said Bell.

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Night fell upon the city of Orario and the stars started twinkling in the sky. Abel teleported past the city's rooftops, stopping on each building to scan for any signs of demonic activity. Upon entering the east section of Orario, he found an outdoor food court. From what he had heard as Kaz, this was where Andy went to eat lunch. He detected a dimensional distortion in an alley between a ramen shop and a cafe. He walked into the area and suddenly found himself in a maze of gnarled, fleshy roots which moved blood red energy through them.

Upon navigating the maze, he came upon a great pentagram drawn on the ground. The pentagram pointed downward towards the door. Its star framed the face of a goat. The goat's horns formed the top two points, its ears the next pair, and its beard the downward point. Above the goat's head was written the name of "Samael." Below its head was "Lilith." Both were the names of powerful demons.

A demon sat in meditation on the pentagram. It was goat-headed and appeared much as depicted in the magical sigil. This demon was Baphomet, the Sabbatic Goat. "So, the King of Bel has come to visit me," said Baphomet, opening his eyes.

"Yes, I want to know what you're doing here?" asked Abel. "How did you get here in the first place?"

"I was summoned by the Goddess Hecate and bound to this location," replied Baphomet.

"By Hecate? Why?" asked Abel.

"She seeks greater and greater power in order to face the demons. She fears they will overrun her world and seeks to avert that fate," replied Baphomet. "I was bound here simply as a test of her power. She ordered me to trap anyone who entered the alley."

"You killed a man earlier, a blacksmith named Andy," said Abel. "Why?"

"Andy wished to escape from this Domain. The only way was to remove this magic seal or to destroy me," replied Baphomet. "That mortal chose to destroy me, but threw away his life in vain. Being dead, I could not keep him contained."

"Would you know where Hecate is?" asked Abel.

"Nay. After she bound me here, she had left and never returned," replied Baphomet.

"Very well, would you like me to undo your binding?" asked Abel.

"I would appreciate it," said Baphomet.

Abel waved his hand. The pentagram became a new magic sigil, the Seal of Bel, which resembled a spade in a circle. Baphomet vanished, having been returned to the Expanse. Its Domain fell soon afterwards, leaving Abel back in the alley between the ramen store and the cafe. Abel teleported out of the city, then back to the abandoned mine. He entered a Domain of his own which overlaid the mine. Its interior looked like a large apartment from Japan.

He contacted his friends and told them about what had happened. "So, this Goddess Hecate is responsible for summoning the demons?" asked Yuzu.

"Yes, according to Baphomet," replied Abel. "Hecate placed him there as a test of her new powers. I undid the binding spell and sent him back to the Expanse. I'll try to find out where the Hecate Familia's hideout is."

"We're going into the Dungeon tomorrow," said Yuzu. "Wish us luck!"

"Good luck, honey," said Abel.

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The Survivors descended the tunnel in the waterway to F67. They found themselves near a sandy beach on the shore of a vast ocean. The air had a moist, salty sensation about it. They released demons to scout and get the lay of the land. When the demons returned, they told their masters about a mountain to the north with a face shaped like a skull. Two rocks made up its eyes, one of which had a cave leading underground and a possible passage to the next floor. This was where the Survivors flew to next.

Inside, they found a stone chamber filled with the statues of skeletal warriors. There was a locked door at the other end of the room with a sign beside it. "It's a secret to everybody. To reach Orcus, seek the Lion's Key northeast of where you began. Burn the tree which blocks your path and all will be revealed," said Midori.

"We can't do anything here," said Atsuro. "We need that key."

The Survivors flew to the location where the sign mentioned. This area had trees that grew in oddly straight rows, as though someone had planted them there instead of the wind randomly scattering seeds. The locations without trees formed clear paths through this odd forest. However, one path had a single tree growing in the middle of it, which was highly unusual. "I'll burn the tree!" said Midori.

"Uh, be careful! We're in the middle of a forest," said Yuzu.

"Yeah, let's avoid the whole forest fire thing," said Atsuro.

Midori conjured a column of flame upon the tree, which burnt to ash in but a few seconds. Beneath the tree, hidden among its roots, was a set of stairs which led underground. They followed these stairs into a chamber of grey granite lit only by braziers. Like the underground of Skull Mountain, this room had several statues of skeletal warriors. There were four exits with the south one being the room's entrance.

The went west and found a room with several stone blocks arranged in diamond pattern. Upon pushing one of the blocks, they opened the central space and revealed a ladder going down. It led into a cellar where they found a single book with a red cover resting on a small dais. Scanning it with a comp revealed that the book taught a new spell to whoever had a Falna. "We should hold onto it. Kaz might find it useful," said Midori.

The Survivors returned to the entrance and took the north door this time. After passing through a few rooms, they came upon a side room to the right with a staircase leading into a passage. At the other end, they walked through a maze of blocks and entered a northern chamber with a sealed door at the other end. A group of shadowy adventurers emerged from the ground. The enemy resembled elven warriors dressed in rugged clothing and armed with swords and shields.

As they advanced, they glared with malice at the Survivors. "Time to fight!" cried Midori.

The Survivors brought out their retinue of demons. Atsuro sidestepped an axe, then weaved in with a punch to the ribs. The shadow went flying back and smashed an indentation into the wall before dissolving and dropping a magic stone. Nearby, Viola parried a sword. She pushed the blade back, then dashed by with a slash to the gut. The shadow crumbled. Another shadow backed away from Orochi, but he snapped it up and crunched it in his mouth before spitting out the magic stone.

Black Frost ducked a decapitating slash, then breathed frosty air upon his foe. His shadow and the others nearby became covered in glistening snow, made highly visible from the refraction of torch light. Midori saw one trying to approach, then blasted it with flame. Hurled back, the shadow hit a wall and slumped down. The flames lit up the room, making the enemy even more visible and contrasting with the light.

Hector saw one coming from behind and began to pummel it with punches. "ATA! A-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA! ATA!" cried Hector in time with his blows. With a final strike, he smashed the shadow towards the opposite wall. The other shadows were blown into heaps in the wake of their counterpart flying back and smashing a deep indention into the wall.

"That should be the last one," said Midori.

The Survivors collected the magic stones and continued to the next room, where they found a small dais. On top of it was a heart-shaped bottle filled with a red medicine. Upon scanning, the comps determined that it could enhance the vitality of whoever drank it, provided they possessed a Falna. "This is like those stat boosting items in RPGs," remarked Atsuro. "We should save this."

The Survivors returned to where they first entered the underground tunnel. After exploring the rooms to the north, they found a staircase which led down into another cellar. They found a golden key with a lion's head carved on its top and claimed it. "This must be what the sign was asking us to find," said Midori. "Let's go back to that door."

After returning to Skull Mountain, they unlocked and passed through the door to the interior of the mini dungeon. The Survivors passed through a maze of rooms until they found a ladder and followed the tunnel below to the north part of the mini dungeon. Exploring the north section, they found a second tunnel which gave them access to the west side. Eventually, they found a third tunnel, which brought them just south of their destination. After going one room to the north, they entered a room with the image of a skull on the ground.

Orcus, a large, boar-headed, humanoid monster, was in the room. The monster wore leather armour and carried a trident. He magically snuffed the nearby braziers and concealed himself with the darkness. The Survivors sensed danger and evaded a magic bolt coming from behind. They sensed danger again, this time coming from the northwest corner of the room and dodged. "Where is he?" asked Yuzu. "I can't see him!"

"We're in trouble if we can't remove his stealth ability," said Atsuro.

Hector blocked the energy bolt as did Black Frost. "Hee ho! I've got the solution!" said Black Frost.

He waited for Orcus to fire one of his magic bolts, then sent a breath of frost back to the source. The frost had hit Orcus in the face, blinding him momentarily. It also left a layer of glistening ice on Orcus. When Orcus moved to a new location, the Survivors spotted him immediately from the ice refracting what little light filtered into the room. They focused their attacks on him, leading to him being pummelled by blasts of fire, wind, and lightning.

Despite bleeding heavily all over his front, he managed to remove the ice and vanish. "That trick again? It won't work this time," said Midori.

She calmed herself, then sensed an attack coming from behind. She ducked a shot, then sent a blast of fire back to where the shot came from. Orcus got ignited and the flames lit the room, as well as expose his location to everyone. The Survivors pummelled Orcus with magic again, finally putting him onto the ground. He crumbled into ash and vanished, leaving behind a large magic stone. "Smart thinking Black Frost!" said Midori.

"Thank you!" said Black Frost.

"We'll quit here," said Atsuro. "Let's head back up."

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Somewhere in the southeast of Orario was an abandoned meeting hall. The building was full of cobwebs and dust from being neglected for so long. One corner of the room contained a shelf full of unused bottles resting against the back wall in a corner. The wall beside the shelf slid open and out came a pair of men dressed in black robes. The wall slid closed and the men left the building. In the cracks between dimension, invisible to the naked eye, was Abel.

He returned in phase with the physical world. After examining the shelf, he discovered a button hidden behind some bottles in the shelf. When pressed, the button caused the wall to slide open. Behind was a ladder which led down to a vast hall lit by lanterns which used magic stones. It led to a lobby room, which in turn had doors on its sides to locker rooms where cultists could change into appropriate clothing and secure their possessions.

The final door, directly opposite the lobby entry, led to the ritual area, the deepest chamber. Inside, Abel saw a sigil inked on the ground in black. The image depicted what looked like either four tongues of flame in a brazier, or four men standing on a boat. Along the outer ring of the magical circle was written the name "Paimon" going clockwise. Seeing the Sigil of Paimon made Abel grow very concerned, for Paimon was one of the most powerful demons there were.

There were six people in the ritual room. One was a sombre young woman in a black dress and a matching black conic hat. She had black hair and pale skin and looked very much like a young witch. The woman gave off the aura of goddess, much as others such as Hestia and Loki did. She was Hecate, the Greek goddess of magic and the supernatural. With her was a blonde woman clad in a white dress which made her look like a priestess. She was Medea Mageia, Hecate's right hand, and a founder of the Hecate Familia.

"I'm not getting anything from Baphomet anymore," said Medea. "It's possible he was destroyed."

"We'll have to summon a new demon to replace him, but at least we know the spell worked," replied Hecate. "Perhaps we should move on and make further progress in summoning Paimon?"

"Of course my Goddess," said Medea.

When Abel appeared in the room, the two leaders of the Hecate Familia noticed him. The other four people in the room, guards, went to detain him, but suddenly fell unconscious. The spell's effects also washed over Medea and she fell unconscious as well. "Now that we're alone, we can talk, face to face," said Abel.

"You're the Masked Mage!" said Hecate. "What do you want with me?"

"You are the Goddess Hecate, am I correct?" asked Abel.

"Yes," replied Hecate.

"Was your Familia the one summoning demons into Orario?" asked Abel.

"I won't hide it. My Familia has been practicing demon summoning," replied Hecate.

"I see from the decor that you have made contact with the demon Paimon. You intend to summon him in the future, am I correct?" asked Abel.

"Of course," replied Hecate.

"Why?" asked Abel.

"The demons are coming, whether we summon them or not," replied Hecate. "First were the stragglers, who crossed into the world purely by accident. Next would come scouts to evaluate our world and its defences. After them will be servants of the demon lords. I tried to warn the gods, but all my warnings fell on deaf ears. If they wouldn't make a stand, I would do so myself!"

"I understand, but Paimon is far too powerful for you to control," said Abel. "You'll only make the situation worse by calling him."

"I beg to differ," said Hecate.

"So says the fool before her funeral," replied Abel. "While I'm not forbidding you from summoning demons, at least be more responsible about it. Innocent people have died already, regardless of how noble your intentions may be. For everyone's sake, stop trying to summon Paimon, while you still can. If you don't, I will be forced to step in."

Abel vanished, leaving Hecate behind with the unconscious Medea. In a few moments, Medea finally stirred from her unconsciousness. "Ow, my head," she remarked, being hammered by a migraine from her recovery.

"Are you okay?" asked Hecate.

"Other than this headache and the bump from my fall, yeah," replied Medea, who finally stood up. "The Masked Mage was here. Did he hurt you in anyway?"

"No, all we did was talk," replied Hecate.

"Talk? About what?" asked Medea.

"He wanted me to stop developing a way to summon Paimon," replied Hecate. "He thinks we're going to get in over our heads."

"Really? We can't afford to stop! How else will we stop the demons?" asked Medea.

"I know," replied Hecate. "There are risks involved, yes, but even so, inaction will doom our world."

"Now that the Masked Mage knows about us, what should do we do?" asked Medea.

"Let's consult Leonard," replied Hecate.

 **END OF CHAPTER**


	8. Chaos 08 - The Cult of Paimon

Disclaimer:  
DanMachi was created by Fujino Omori. Shin Megami Tensei was created by Atlus. This story uses reference material from them.

 **Demons of the Dungeon  
By: RB3  
Chaos in Orario 8: The Cult of Paimon**

The Hestia Familia reached F18, where they rested for the night from their lengthy trip through the first seventeen floors. Once they awoke and entered F19, they came upon a floor of wooden tunnels. The air was moist and syrupy. Many portions of the tunnels had moss growing on them, which provided blue light to otherwise dark hallways. This was the stratum of the Dungeon known as the Great Tree Labyrinth.

The group continued on until they heard a hissing coming from the west. "Monsters!" warned Kaz, visualizing their magic stones moving towards the group. "They're coming down the hall in our direction."

"Set up an ambush," said Lili.

Bell and Welf took flanks beside the entrance to the western hallway. Kaz placed a trail of water all along the hallway as a trap. Lili waited beside Bell for the first monster, a Lizardman, to show his face. She shot the monster in the face, causing it to collapse. The others in its party ran in to engage, only to have the wet ground turn to ice beneath their feet. Immobilized, they started yanking their feet out, only to slip and fall into a heap. Some of them ended up in front of Bell and Welf, to receive fatal downward stabs.

The others tried to get up and escape, but found their efforts stymied by the slippery hallway. They had to brace the wall in order to escape, but that only made their movements slow. Bell hurled Firebolts into the tunnel, with Lili and Kaz firing arrows and ice beams respectively. All of the Lizardmen got killed by the barrage, leaving nothing behind but their magic stones. When the hall was clear, Kaz melted the ice and washed the magic stones over to Lili and Haruhime for collection.

"That was our first fight on F19," said Bell. "Very good. Let's keep this up!"

The Hestia Familia eventually discovered the wooden ramp which led down to F20. With Haruhime now a Familia member, Lili had assigned her to travel in the rear guard, with Kaz having been moved to the middle with Bell. Haruhime's Baby Dragon illusion joined Welf in the front lines. With this formation, the toughest members faced the enemies first. Since Kaz could shoot and Bell was simply fast, they could easily join in wherever they were needed.

After exploring for two hours, they found a vein of silvery metal in the wall of a Dungeon chamber. "Wow, that's a mythril vein! I'm going to mine it. Cover me while I dig it out." Welf pulled out his pick and started to chip away at the metal. Lili went and gathered each chunk of raw mythril as it landed on the ground and put it safely in her backpack. After one final strike, the last mythril chunk fell onto the ground for Lili to collect. "Whew!"

Footsteps stampeded over from further in the tunnels ahead. "Monsters coming this way," said Kaz, feeling the emanations from their magic stones.

A group of deer-like monsters charged at the group, each having a long, sharp horn like that of a unicorn. They were known as Sword Stags, creatures whose preferred method of attack was to charge opponents and impale them with their horns. The Hestia Familia scattered. Kaz conjured hail and snow over the monsters, causing them to be blinded and stalled as the snow whipped into their faces. A few of the Sword Stags slipped on lumps of ice deposited on the ground.

As the loss of body heat weakened the monsters, Bell, Welf, and Haruhime's Baby Dragon ran in to engage. Bell weaved around an attempt to thrust at him with a horn. Bell moved in and slashed the Sword Stag's neck, instantly felling it. Another came to impale him from the left, but Bell backed from the horn. It tried again, but Bell leapt over and landed with a stab to the spine. Nearby, Welf evaded an overextended thrust. He swung wide, taking the Sword Stag's head in a decapitating arc.

Other stags managed to get up and attempted to move around to Bell and Welf's right flank. The Baby Dragon blocked their path and breathed fire. Two of the Sword Stags got caught in the blast and were incinerated. Other stags tried to approach from the left. Lili fired arrows at them, staggering one with a head shot. They continued advancing, until Kaz extended tendrils of violet energy to meet them. They gripped the monsters and leeched health and mind until they crumbled.

Kaz expelled the gathered energy to revitalize his companions. "We're done here. I got my minerals," said Welf, as Lili gathered the magic stone pile Kaz had made with water. Included in the pile were a few of the monsters' horns.

The Familia continued on and found a tunnel which led down to F21. They came across a chamber with several plants growing within it. Certain specimens of these plants had three-pronged leaves. "Holy Moly!" said Welf. "I could grind this up to make armour that protects against statuses."

Welf gathered as many Moly leaves as he could. "Our bags are getting full. We should head back," said Lili.

"Okay," replied Bell.

Along the way, a towering green humanoid monster blocked their path. "Troll," said Bell.

Two more emerged from the tunnel ahead. "Three of them," said Haruhime.

Lili fired arrows at the troll, sticking several in their chests. The trolls ignored the attacks and advanced. Kaz fired an ice beam at one's legs, forming a shell which stuck it in place. The others met Bell and Welf. Bell's troll tried to punch him in the face, but the Little Rookie proved too quick to hit. He bobbed and weaved past more punches to deliver a slash to the belly. The troll doubled over and Bell worked his way to the back, landing a stab there. The troll collapsed, but did not immediately crumble and give up its stone.

Welf evaded an overextended punch, then moved in. He plunged the sword into the troll's gut, then removed it and let the blood spill. Kaz fired an ice beam at the last troll, felling him with a lethal head shot. Despite taking lethal damage, none of the trolls disintegrated. "We have to burn them, quickly, before they regenerate!" said Lili.

The illusionary Baby Dragon breathed over the bodies, causing them to ignite. Troll flesh became black ash in but a few seconds. All that remained of the trolls were magic stones the size of a baseball, as they were stronger and larger than their peers. Lili bagged every magic stone. The group made their way back up to F18, where they camped for the night. They ate a meal of pemmican rations, washed down by fresh water. As dessert, they ate locally gathered fruit.

"So Haruhime, how's your first Dungeon run with the Hestia Familia?" asked Bell.

"It's great. I always thought that, as a prostitute, I was not worth being saved, but you came for me. Thank you Bell, thank you everybody," said Haruhime. "Other than Aisha and the Take Mikazuchi Familia, you're some of the few people who care about me as a person."

"I'm glad I could help. I'm glad I could meet you," said Bell.

"What were they trying to do back then?" asked Kaz. "When we found you, they looked like they were performing some kind of magic ritual with those stones."

"They were going to sacrifice me to make a Killing Stone," replied Haruhime.

"Oh, so all they wanted was your power?" asked Kaz.

"Yeah, they wanted my Uchide no Kozuchi spell. It's very powerful," said Haruhime.

"I know. A spell to level people up? No kidding that's powerful!" remarked Welf. "I just got a taste of what it could do on this expedition."

"Who's Aisha?" asked Lili.

"She was a member of the Ishtar Familia, until Ishtar died. She was like a big sister to me. She was the only one who looked out for me, even if it got her into trouble with Ishtar," replied Haruhime. "I haven't seen her since the Freya Familia attack. I hope she's okay."

"Once we get back, we should ask around about her," said Bell.

"If we could, I'd really appreciate it. Thank you Bell," said Haruhime.

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The Hestia Familia reached the surface in Orario and went their separate ways. When the night came, they and Hestia reunited at the Hostess of Fertility, their favourite restaurant, as well as that of the Loki Familia's officers. They sat at a small table in the side of the restaurant with a good view of the entire establishment. Bell had ordered the Hostess' specialty, a big plate of spaghetti. The others ordered dishes ranging from paella and soup to mussels and salad.

"This is Haruhime Sanjouno. She's our new mage," said Bell to Arnya, introducing the Renard to their cat girl waitress.

"Nice to meet you!" said Arnya.

"Please make her feel welcome," said Bell.

"I will," replied Arnya.

After the celebratory meal, the Hestia Familia members returned home for the night. Welf returned to his forge and unlocked the front door. As soon as he stepped inside, he felt a strange drowsiness start to overtake him. He passed out on the ground, sprawled out like a drunken bum. A dark figure emerged from the shadows and examined Welf. It dragged Welf out of his home, onto the dirt outside, vanishing into the darkness.

Kaz returned to his apartment and closed the door behind him. A strange drowsiness started to affect him, a phenomenon he recognized as a sleep spell being used on him. He called upon his full power from Abel to do so. Suddenly, the sleep spell stopped. Scarlet appeared in the den. "Darling, a demon was trying to put you to sleep," said Scarlet.

Kaz turned around and saw a small humanoid demon in red who had a head like a crescent moon. It carried a sack slung over its shoulder. The demon was a Sandman, who put children to sleep so they could have good dreams. The demon had vacant, unfocused eyes, as though it had been hypnotized. Scarlet had trapped it in a charm spell when she noticed it in his room. "Who are you? Why are you in my room?" asked Kaz.

"Leonard sent me. He wanted me to kidnap you and the rest of the Hestia Familia," replied the Sandman in a monotone voice.

"What does he want with the Hestia Familia?" asked Kaz.

"He wants revenge for your interference against Hecate. He knows you are the King of Bel," replied Sandman.

"Damn you Hecate!" said Kaz. "Where is she taking them?"

"I don't know," replied Sandman.

"Then you can go to hell!" said Kaz. "Scarlet, get rid of him!"

Scarlet obliged by incinerating the Sandman. "Darling, what will you do now?" asked Scarlet.

"I have to find the others!" said Kaz. He gathered his gear and made way to the church. "Hestia! Bell! Haruhime! Lili!" Kaz cried, searching each room for them, but no one responded. He asked around at the Hostess of Fertility and even the Guild, but no one had seen them. He then ran to Lili's home, rapping on the door, but the Familia supporter never answered. He tried Welf's forge and found a small groove in the dirt, created very recently from a person being dragged away.

In the meantime, his true self, Abel, sped to Orario as fast as he could. He appeared on top of an inn and looked around the city. He reached out with his magical senses, trying to locate the Falna of the Hestia Familia, or even the divine aura of the goddess herself. He was able to detect Hestia's familiar aura to the north of his location. He travelled to the source and found an abandoned warehouse in the east-northeast part of the city, where numerous blacksmiths had set up shop.

He entered the main floor and found the Hestia Familia tied to cement pillars at the rear of the room. As he approached, the sigil of Paimon lit up on the ground. Abel felt his body being bound and immobilized by the magic of Paimon. A figure who looked much like Baphomet emerged from a room in the back. He was taller and lacked the torch-like growth on his head. His fur was a more bluish colour rather than brown. He was the demon Leonard and with him came Hecate and Medea.

"We got him!" said Hecate.

"Yes, and I wouldn't try to break that sigil. It could explode and blow your friends to bits," said Leonard, with his baritone voice.

"What is the meaning of this?" asked Hestia. "Why have you kidnapped us?"

"Why don't you tell them?" Leonard asked of Abel. "I'm sure they'd love to know the truth."

"Truth? What is he talking about?" asked Lili.

"Your friend Kaz is not what he seems," replied Hecate. "He has been deceiving you the whole time."

"Deceiving us? How?" asked Welf.

"Again, why don't you tell them, Masked Mage, or should I say, King of Bel?" asked Leonard. "Maybe this will loosen your lips..."

Leonard stuck his finger into Lili's cheek. It started to glow red and a sizzling sound followed the acrid release of smoke. Lili screamed in agony. "Lili!" cried the others, struggling with their restraints.

"Talk, or would you like me to give another of your friends the finger?" asked Leonard. "For starters, tell them what that seal on the ground is."

"That's the sigil of Paimon, a powerful demon," replied Abel.

"How do you know that?" asked Hestia.

"I'm a demon too," replied Abel. "I know a lot about magic."

"Tell them why you came here and what you've done," said Hecate.

"I'm here to investigate the demons," said Abel. "After I arrived, I ascended the Dungeon. Once in Orario, I created an avatar, the person you know as Kazuya Minegishi. Kaz used his cover as an adventurer to watch for demonic activity in Orario, while I came out on clean up duty."

The Hestia Familia became slack-jawed in shock of this bombshell of a revelation. They didn't know how to react to what they had just learned. "Now that we have him, how will we deal with him?" asked Medea.

"I will banish him to the furthest reaches of the Expanse," replied Leonard.

"Oh, there's one more thing," said Abel.

"What's that?" asked Hecate.

"It's what I was doing before I went to find Hestia," replied Abel.

"...And what was that?" asked Medea.

"I told my friends where you live," replied Abel.

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Meanwhile, the other Survivors came upon a large curios shop built at the corner of an intersection in the Smith District of Orario. It was known as the Crossroads Curios, according to the overhead sign. It was a shop owned by the Hecate Familia and had a Gothic style to its decor. It specialized in equipment and odds and ends for those who could use magic. In the window were several polished and prepared magic stones, ready for use in appliances or spells. Further in was a shelf filled with herbs for brewing potions.

The Crossroads Curios store was connected to a larger building. It appeared to be a hotel that had been converted into a residence for the members of the Hecate Familia. It was known as the Crossroads Coven, as many of its members were full mages or at least could use magic. Vidofnir flew Yuzu to the roof of the Coven, where she waited with the rest of her demons for the word to strike. Midori stood on the roof of a building to the west of the Coven, overlooking its backyard.

Atsuro ducked into an alley and scanned the store. Nobody was in it, so he moved to the front of the hotel. "Time to trash the place," said Atsuro over the radio.

"Okay," said Midori.

The Survivors called in the rest of their demons and advanced on the Coven. Atsuro smashed through the front door, jarring the people within. When they tried to confront him, he grabbed them and tossed them out onto the street. The other Familia members reached for weapons, but Atsuro was already upon them, and had punched each before they could draw their weapons. He grabbed a female mage and hurled her over the front desk. Atsuro found a couch and hurled it into a wall, smashing a hole into the dining room.

Midori entered from the rear, blowing down the door with flame. When the kitchen staff moved to fight her, she flattened them down with balls of flame. A male mage ran in to assist, but got tackled down by Black Frost and pummelled. Cait Sith whipped up a tornado, scattering food, plates, and utensils all over the kitchen. They moved into the dining room, where Hecate members reached for weapons. Midori blasted some with bolts of flame, while Black Frost froze the others, and Cait Sith blew everyone down.

Yuzu sliced off the knob to the roof access door and descended into the hallway of the dorms. She blew open a door and stepped into the room, which had a naked female mage putting on clothes. The shocked woman covered up her exposed breasts. "AHHHH!" she screamed.

Yuzu blasted her into the wall with a gust of wind. Nearby, Gremio had blasted open another door. He found a woman reading on the bed, who was jarred by the commotion. He zapped the female mage with lightning, felling her. Yuzu's second demon, a Mothman, burst through a third door and sprayed down a female mage with powder. Other female Familia members tried to run from their rooms, but Yuzu blew them to a heap on the ground with a massive gust of wind.

At the backyard, a male mage approached a window, where he spotted Hector and started the chant for a spell. "ATA!" cried Hector, punching through the window and nailing the mage in the face. He reached into another window and yanked out a female warrior, tossing her to the ground. "ATA!" cried Hector, punching out that woman after she got up.

Atsuro entered a training room where Hecate members practiced coordination with demons. He dashed to a swordsman and popped him in the jaw before he could react. He continued on to a Decarabia and punched it in the eye, knocking it to the wall. Viola dashed to a second Decarabia and chopped it in half before it could do anything. A Hecate warrior tried to stab Atsuro, who sidestepped, then grabbed his foe's sword arm and tossed him to the wall.

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Suddenly, Leonard had received a telepathic message from one of his demons and a scowl formed on his face. "What happened?" asked Hecate.

"Your Familia is under attack!" replied Leonard.

"WHAT?" asked Hecate. "Save them! If we lose my Familia, we won't be able to summon Paimon!"

"I'm on my way," said Leonard, vanishing into thin air.

A minute passed and Abel turned to his two remaining captors. "Don't worry. My friends won't be too hard on them, I hope..." said Abel.

Hecate scowled at Abel. "Don't fall for it, Goddess. He's trying to make you lose your cool and make a mistake," said Medea. "Don't fall for it!"

"I have a lot of friends," said Abel.

"What are you going on about now?" asked Hecate.

"They'll get me out of this," replied Abel.

"How?" asked Hecate. Suddenly, in flickers of blue light, the Hestia Familia vanished! "WHAT?"

Hecate couldn't get over her shock until she noticed that Abel straining against the binding sigil of Paimon. It started to flicker unstably. "RUN!" cried Medea.

The two women bolted out of the room, moments before the entire building went up in flame! Once safely away, they glanced back at the burning ruin. The sound of an alarm bell started to approach the building. Firefighters soon reached the scene and toiled desperately to hose down the fire. Clouds mysteriously coalesced overhead and dumped a torrential downpour on the fire. It was a boon to the firefighters and they soon got the blaze under control.

Elsewhere, the Hestia Familia found themselves inside Yog-Sothoth. They were in awe of their location, the interior of a demon. Kaz tried to use a potion on Lili's burnt cheek, but she slapped the bottle away. "Don't touch me!" cried Lili.

"Lili..." said Bell.

"You lied to us, you used us, and nearly got us killed!" said Lili.

"There's no way Kaz wanted it to turn out this way," said Bell, taking the potion and spraying onto Lili's cheek. "It couldn't have been easy for him to tell us these things."

"You may hate me, but I'm still your friend, Lili," said Kaz.

"You're far too trusting Bell, after what he did!" said Lili.

Welf sighed. "No matter what, we're in this together, whether we want to be or not. Those guys won't be stopped by a small setback."

"That's why you must go into hiding, while you still can," said Kaz. "Gather your things quickly. We'll take you to safety."

"I just want know why. Why did you lie to us? What was so dangerous that you had to put us in danger?" asked Hestia.

"I'll talk once you are safe," replied Kaz.

Yog dropped each of the Familia members off at their homes. They quickly grabbed anything that wasn't nailed down, from changes of clothes to small everyday use items and valuables. One by one, Yog took in their belongings, suitcases and luggage full of items. Welf brought in toolboxes filled with pliers, hammers, and racks for his craft. Lili took vials of chemicals used to make Morbuls. Once Yog was loaded, he took them to the abandoned mine in the outskirts of Orario.

They passed through the portal to the Babelite base in the Expanse. The Hestia Familia were in awe of the strange, yet vast crimson void. The land they stood on was a grassy plain on the edge of a large floating island. In the distance was a ziggurat and the buildings which made up a military base. Below the edge, they could see a translucent image of the mortal world through holes in the crimson fog like ripples in water.

"What is this place? Are we between planes?" asked Haruhime.

"Yes," replied Kaz.

"Is that our world down there?" asked Welf.

"Yes," replied Kaz. "We've been trying to keep the demons out, but they still slip through."

"Who's we?" asked Welf.

"We are called the Babelites. We are a people who have the ability to summon and control demons. We came from another world further in this Expanse," said Kaz. "The barriers protecting your world from the Expanse have grown weak, especially with all of the summoning Hecate was doing. Demons are being attracted to it."

Welf saw a trail of objects in the distance. On straining to see them, he and the rest of the Familia realized that they were passing demons. A few appeared to have stopped to gawk at their world. They refrained from approaching, afraid of being attacked by the base's inhabitants. The Hestia Familia began to realize just how exposed, yet alluring their world was. This base was the only thing standing in their way, a single rock standing against the sea.

As they moved down the plain, closer to the ziggurat, Lili noticed a demon moving about the military base. It resembled a cancerous blob with multiple faces and tendrils on it. "Demon!" she gasped.

"Don't worry, this one is friendly," said Kaz. "We are demon tamers, so you'll see many demons wandering our island. Still, mind your manners."

"We're guests. We can at least be a little polite about it," said Bell.

Kaz led them to a small group of tents erected by the base of the ziggurat. "You'll be staying here. Once you get settled in, I'll answer any more questions you might have."

 **END OF CHAPTER**


	9. Chaos 09 - Hestia in Hiding

Disclaimer:  
DanMachi was created by Fujino Omori. Shin Megami Tensei was created by Atlus. This story uses reference material from them.

 **Demons of the Dungeon  
By: RB3  
Chaos in Orario 9: Hestia in Hiding**

Welf hung his tools on a rack near the olive tent he had claimed as his workstation. An anvil stood before the rear entrance of his open tent, beside his currently unlit forge. Nearby, Lili set up a small table full of beakers with chemicals for manufacturing Morbuls. After enough time to move in and get used to their new lodgings, everyone met Kaz at a picnic table. "Okay, I promised to answer your questions, so here I am. Ask away," said Kaz.

"Are the demons really that much of a threat?" asked Haruhime.

"Oh yes," replied Kaz. "So much so, that Hecate began to learn how to summon and control demons as a countermeasure. While we can't blame her for wanting to defend her home, she didn't do a good job of cleaning up after them. She also made a very poor choice in choosing to summon Paimon. At their current level, the Hecate Familia can't hope to control that level of power."

"Is Paimon really that dangerous?" asked Haruhime.

"Yes," replied Kaz. "He's a demon of Chaos, the kind that tends to look down upon others as weak, that thinks it's acceptable to harm them."

"Tell me about yourself. Who are you, and why are you here?" asked Hestia.

"The demons call me Abel, but my real name is Saemon Ichihara. The person you know as Kaz, me, is simply one of my avatars," replied Kaz. "As I said, we're called the Babelites. We originally came from another world, from a nation called Japan."

"That's what the Far East is called," remarked Lili.

"Yeah," replied Kaz. "About four or five years ago, demons started to appear in the heart of the city of Tokyo. The authorities quarantined the area to keep them from escaping into the wild. During this time, the demon Bel was beginning to reform after being separated for millennia. Demons sensed this and were being stirred up. Various individuals with Bel's essence, mainly demons, fought each other to reunify and claim Bel's power for their own purposes."

"You were one of them, and you were the ultimate winner," replied Lili.

"Yeah," replied Kaz. "God wanted this quarantine as a trial for humanity, to see if they could deal with demons and their power. The trial was to last for a week. If not resolved to His satisfaction, God would have everyone in the quarantine killed off, human and demon alike. To prepare for this trial, my cousin Naoya developed new technology called the comp. It allowed a person to summon and command demons, as well as use their power."

"You must have succeeded if you're here now. What happened afterwards?" asked Bell.

"I asked my cousin to reprogram the demon summoning system to allow humanity to use demonic power. Japan used this technology to become a global superpower. Since then, we began building a colony in the Expanse called the Babel Colony," replied Kaz. "My friends and I have been helping with this effort, to allow Japan to expand and to create a defence against demons in the Expanse. We've also started to explore the Expanse."

"Is this island your colony?" asked Welf.

"No, it's actually a ship meant to travel the Expanse," replied Kaz. "The Dungeon has a large opening to the Expanse on F65. We're using our ship to block it."

"So you're just explorers?" asked Lili. "Was your coming here just dumb luck?"

"Pretty much," replied Kaz. "Although, it's a good thing we came when we did. I want to ask for your help. We all know about the demons. We know how dangerous they can be and what is at stake. I'd like your help to stop the demons from getting out of control."

"I understand," said Bell. "You're still my friend, Kaz. I see that this is not an easy burden you carry."

"Are you really going to help him?" asked Lili.

"Yes," replied Bell. "I've always wanted to be a hero. I believe this is the time to step up and be one."

"I will help too," replied Hestia. "I was there when Hecate warned us at the Denatus. I should have listened to her when I had the chance. Maybe if I did, I could have done something about it. I'm not blameless either."

"Well, count me in," said Welf.

"And me," said Haruhime.

"You guys too?" asked Lili.

"Yeah," replied Haruhime.

"Kaz is still my friend. I'm willing to lend a hand," said Welf. "I seem to recall a certain friend who Kaz helped out by amassing a fortune, someone who was quite thankful for his help."

Lili was stunned. "Kaz, if you don't mind me asking, how did you get the money for my release?"

"I sold the magic stone of Udaeus," replied Kaz.

Lili's jaw dropped. "Udaeus?" asked Lili. "The Floor Boss of F37, that Udaeus?"

"Yeah," replied Kaz. "It was when I came up the Dungeon as Abel, I bumped into Udaeus and beat him."

"Is that why you couldn't tell us how you got the money?" asked Welf.

"Yeah," replied Kaz. "If you knew, you would have become suspicious at how I could have defeated Udaeus. So, will you help me Lili, as a friend?"

The Hestia Familia was left speechless. "I still haven't forgiven you, but yes," replied Lili.

"Even so, what can we do?" asked Hestia.

"If you're concerned about power, I have some solutions. Come," said Kaz. He led the Familia into the ziggurat, to a locker full of strange items. "My friends found these in their exploration of the Dungeon."

The first item was Vlad's Ring from Vlad, the vampire Floor Boss of F66. It had a property called "dark metamorphosis," which enabled the user to absorb blood for healing and energy. It was ideal for a warrior who used bladed weapons. Kaz gifted this to Bell, who put it on. "So, this ring will heal me if I'm exposed to blood?" asked Bell.

"Yes, it's perfect for you," said Kaz.

The second item was a gold staff with a skull on its top. It once belonged to the Lichlord Drahcir Toirag of F64. It tapped into the holder's mind reserves to shoot bolts of darkness, using dexterity to aim and magic for power. It also boosted the holder's magic by one rank. The third was a grimoire found in the Lion Mini Dungeon of F67. Kaz gifted these items to Haruhime. "Thank you for these gifts," said Haruhime. When she took hold of the staff, she felt her power increase immediately. "Ooh!" she remarked.

"You're welcome," said Kaz. "With these, you can participate in combat more. Use them well."

The third item was a heart-shaped bottle which contained a red liquid with a medicinal scent. This heart container also came from the Lion Mini Dungeon on F67. The medicine gave a permanent boost to the drinker's vitality by one rank. It also had a retroactive effect originating as early as the first level, stacking vitality bonuses up to later ones. Its sole drawback was that it prevented other similar items from working to raise the user's vitality.

Kaz gifted this to Welf. "Thanks man. Bottom's up!" said Welf, before drinking the medicine. "I feel great! I've never felt so alive!" Welf started stretching and hopping around in expression of his bountiful new energy levels.

"I'm glad you appreciate it. Once Hestia updates your Falna, I'm sure you, Haruhime, and the goddess will all be pleasantly surprised," said Kaz.

When Haruhime read the grimoire, she was taken into a surreal world where everywhere she had ever been coalesced into one in black and white. She could see vistas of the Hestia Church, the Dungeon, forests and buildings from the Far East, among other locations. "What is magic to you?" asked an unknown voice.

"A form of expression, to show your true self to the world, a way to help my friends, to get past whatever troubles they may have," replied Haruhime.

"What does it look like?"

"A golden light," replied Haruhime.

"What do you want?"

"To be appreciated, to be loved, to have a hero who will protect me and stay by my side through thick and thin. Most of all, I want him to love me, no matter who I am, no matter what I am," replied Haruhime, picturing Bell.

The surreal world vanished in a swirl of iridescence. "Haruhime!" said a chorus of voices, more real than the ones in the surreal world.

"Haruhime!" said Bell. "Are you okay? You blacked out for a moment."

Haruhime opened her eyes. "Yeah, I'm fine," replied the Renard.

Welf noticed that there were more items in the locker. "What are these?" asked Welf.

"Leftovers," replied Kaz.

The three remaining items were a rib bone from Vlad, a small magic wand belonging to Lilly Dragonslayer, and a pair of gloves once worn by Sam Dragonslayer. "Hmm, I could make a shield out of that rib, but none of us use one. The gloves are too big for any of us, but I can duplicate its strength boost property in other gear. Do you mind if I hold onto them?" asked Welf.

"Not at all. Take 'em if it'll give you new ideas," said Kaz.

"Is there anything for me?" asked Hestia. "I feel kinda left out."

"Not an item, but I do have an idea that will help the whole Familia. After examining Falna and the magic of your world, I believe I know a way to speed up your Familia's growth. If we can draw power from magic stones, we can feed it into the Falna to develop it," said Kaz.

"You mean like how monsters eat magic stones to get stronger?" asked Hestia. "Is that even possible for a mortal?"

"Wait, are you saying that we could level as fast as Bell?" asked Lili.

"In a way, yeah," replied Kaz. "It's not without risks, but with a few precautions, we'll be fine. The energy from the stones will need to be purified and administered in small doses."

"How will do we do that?" asked Hestia.

"My idea is to cook food using magic stones in or on a magically conductive material like mithril. That would mean a stove with an oven lined with mithril, and heating elements made of mithril. Welf needs to smelt these metals with Hestia's hair mixed in and have her bless the finished product," replied Kaz.

"Oh, I see what you're trying to do!" said Welf. "That's quite clever... We'll need cookware of mithril too."

Kaz nodded. "To avoid overdosing, we should limit our intake to once every two or three days, and only while doing heavy training or Dungeon runs," said Kaz.

"So, it's like taking supplements when you're bodybuilding," said Lili. "If we're using magic stones that way, it's going to cut into our income."

"That's a fair trade off," said Welf. "The sooner we get stronger, the sooner we can fight tougher monsters, which means more money from bigger magic stones. It works out in the end."

"One more thing. The stove will only work if Hestia or her Familia uses it," replied Kaz. "People outside our Familia can still eat its delicacies for a lesser effect."

"I guess we all need to learn to cook now," said Bell.

"That's not a bad thing. It's a good skill to learn," said Hestia. "If other people can eat our food, I might start selling it."

"Okay, let's get started on that stove," said Welf. Hestia used a pair of scissors to cut some of her hair for Welf to use as a component. "Thank you Goddess."

When Welf started to smelt metals, he mixed in Hestia's hair as Kaz suggested. He poured the molten metal into a mould to form a shell, the main body. When the metal cooled, he started to hammer out the casing. When done, he had created a box-shaped, cast iron stove. The heat came from a compartment at the bottom which accepted magic stones. Above that was an oven with slots for baking trays and on top were elements for heating pots. A pipe led out the back for expelling smoke.

Hestia came over and touched the stove, granting her blessing to it. "I can feel its power," said Bell, upon being shown it by Welf and Hestia.

"Good work. When Welf is done with the cookware, let's use it to make a meal before we go back into the Dungeon," said Kaz.

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Haruhime pulled down her kimono and lay down on Hestia's cot. "Okay, let's see how you've changed," said Hestia.

 **Haruhime Sanjouno**  
Lv 1

Str: H  
Vit: H  
Dex: H  
Agi: D  
Mgc: C

 **Magic**  
Uchide no Kozuchi (give target 1 temporary level)  
Uga no Mitama (create illusionary monsters)  
Kokonoe (create up to 9 tails charged with a different spell, depending on Lv and Mgc)

Hestia pressed a parchment to her back and gave it to her to read. "Goddess, what do I need to do to level?" asked Haruhime.

"You'll need at least a D in one stat, which you have in agility and magic. Now, you'll need to perform a feat which would impress the gods," said Hestia. "Don't worry about that for now. Let's try out the new stove and see if we can't build you up a bit."

"Okay," replied Haruhime.

After she put on her kimono and left, Welf came in after her. "Okay Welf, let's see how that medicine worked on you."

 **Welf Crozzo**  
Lv 2

Str: D  
Vit: E  
Dex: D  
Agi: E  
Mgc: I

 **Skills**  
Crozzo Blood  
Heart Container (Vit +1 rank, stat item)

 **Magic**  
Will-O'-Wisp

 **Dev Abilities**  
Blacksmith H (forge high quality equipment)  
Mystery I (create unusual magical items)

"Oh! I can level now!" remarked Welf as he looked over it.

"Yep, but you should keep improving, so you have a good base for your next level," said Hestia. "That medicine worked like a charm, but it looks like you can't use another stat item to boost your vitality."

"I see," said Welf. "I'll remember to thank Kaz or Abel when I see them."

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Lili found Haruhime, Bell, and Kaz outside in an open field. Abel, Atsuro, Midori, and Yuzu had bumped into them and everyone started a chat. "Ah, so this is the Hestia Familia," remarked Atsuro.

"Yeah," replied Abel. "I'm Abel. I'm the real Kaz."

"It's great to meet you," said Bell. "So this is the real you. I see the resemblance."

"I created Kaz to look like he could be related to me," replied Abel. "He has some of the traits of my cousin Naoya."

"It's cool to see real live adventurers like from an RPG!" said Midori. "We hope you like the gear. We were the ones who found it for you."

"Yep, hope you like it," replied Atsuro.

"Yeah, my new staff is nice. Thank you so much!" said Haruhime.

"Thank you. We really appreciate it," replied Hestia.

"You're welcome," said Midori.

"If you're going to fight the demons, we'll give you training to help you out," said Midori.

"Yeah, but before that, have a snack from the stove," said Abel.

At a kitchen, Hestia had cooked a few red bean croquettes with the stove. She came with the meal and served it to her Familia. Once they ate the sweet snack, they felt empowered. "It seems like they're working," remarked Bell.

"Okay, take a quick break and let it digest," said Abel.

A few minutes later, the Survivors brought the Hestia Familia into the ziggurat's basement, which was a simple empty stone room. All of a sudden, the environment distorted and became a large colosseum like an iceless hockey rink. A wall of plastic ran around the central fighting area, to protect the three levels of bleachers from stray shots. The wall and floors appeared to have spectral roots growing along them which transmitted a blood-like red energy.

"Where are we?" asked Hestia.

"We're in a Domain right now," replied Yuzu.

A Domain was a pocket dimension created by demons to act as a hideout and sanctuary. Weaker demons could only create Domains of the basic form, a labyrinth overgrown with roots which channelled power from the Expanse along the walls. All Domains had at least one demon which acted as its anchor. If this anchor was eliminated or otherwise removed from the Domain, it would collapse the Domain and return everything foreign to the outside.

"Who is keeping this Domain up?" asked Bell as everyone sat on the bleachers.

"Girimehkala, one of our demons," replied Abel. "Let's begin with a brief demonstration." Abel called in Girimehkala, who resembled an elephant man with blue skin mottled with black stripes. He had a single eye and carried a wooden scimitar. "Take one of the wooden sticks from that rack and attack him."

"If you physically attack me, something GOOD will happen!" replied Girimehkala slyly.

Bell complied, but just as his weapon came close, a yellow barrier appeared around Girimehkala. The force of the blow transferred back to Bell, who stumbled back in shock. "Ow!" blurted Bell. "What was that?"

According to Abel, demons from the Expanse had unique resistances to certain forms of attack. Resistances ranged from high vulnerability to complete immunity. Some even went further and could absorb an attack for health, or even reflect it back to the source. Forms of attack could vary from ice and fire to darkness and even physical strikes and physical projectiles. Girimehkala was an example of attack reflection for a standard physical strike.

"How do we get around this?" asked Haruhime.

"Try a different type of attack," replied Abel.

"I see, simple enough," said Bell.

He sent a Firebolt at Girimehkala, who blocked the attack. Girimehkala fanned the smoke away. "So, if our attacks aren't working, we should try to mix it up," said Welf.

"Exactly," replied Abel.

"So, that means we should employ a combined arms strategy?" asked Lili.

Abel nodded affirmatively. "As a Familia, you have access to weapon strikes, physical projectiles, fire magic, and ice magic in good quantities. You also have a way to summon monsters too, so you are very adaptable."

"Okay, let me have a chance to train," said Lili.

"Sure," replied Bell, who returned to the bleachers.

The Hestia Familia continued their training against various demons over the week. After the session, the Survivors summoned all of their demons to meet the Hestia Familia. Some were quite intimidating like Hector and Tulzcha. Others were cute and endearing mascots Iike Mao and Black Frost. Hestia petted Mao, the samurai cat, on the head. "Meow!" purred Mao.

"He's so cute!" said Hestia.

When it came time to introduce Scarlet, a naked succubus, Hestia immediately latched onto Bell's arm. "Watch where you point those things!" said Hestia.

"These?" asked Scarlet, fondling her breasts to show them off. "They're only for Abel darling and Yuzu darling."

"Good! Keep it that way," said Hestia. She then turned to Viola. "That goes for you too."

Viola latched onto Atsuro's arm. "Same here. He's my boy toy. Hands off and we'll get along just fine."

"So, that's everybody," said Abel.

"You know, I think it's about time we did another Dungeon run, as a test of our new abilities," said Bell.

"Of course," said Abel. "We've got some exploring to do. Good luck with your run."

"You too," said Welf.

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For the next Dungeon run, the Hestia Familia had to go incognito, as Hecate and her demonic servants were still at large. Bell received a matching mask with an eye slit and voice modulator for his Pyonkichi armour, which Welf had upgraded to Mk 5. It looked slightly greener due to the Moly plant used in its construction. It had improved status defence and magic defence. It could also boost strength by a rank, a trait learned from Sam Dragonslayer's gloves.

Lili easily changed her appearance to that of a blonde elf and put on a brown cloak, easily concealing her identity. Kaz wore a set of leather clothes with a hood, a bandanna to cover the mouth, and fur boots. Welf left behind his smith's clothing and changed into a suit of chain mail with a matching hood and face-covering mask. Haruhime left her kimono behind and donned dark blue robes with a concealing hood and mask.

"Testing one, two, three, testing," said Kaz. "Good, the voice modulator works. If we need to rest, we'll just return to base from F18."

For their last meal before departure, Hestia cooked the Familia a meal of stir fried chicken with vegetables, complemented by her own recipe of spiced potato croquette. As she prepared the meal, the magic oven's runes started to glow. The magic stone energy had filled her meal, something her Familia could sense the moment she served them. The next day, the Hestia Familia departed for the Great Tree Labyrinth, for F24 at the bottom of the stratum.

The central chamber was a cavernous space teeming with vegetation. Several bridge-like structures of rock crisscrossed and overlapped each other. The sides had openings to caves which connected each bridge to the others. The Hestia Familia explored the east side and noted at least fifty monsters in a valley below. There were two types. One was a bipedal, ambulatory mushroom with a black cap, the Dark Fungus. The second type were Hobgoblins armed with clubs, larger versions of the Goblin from earlier floors.

Lili looked over the cliff. "They must be headed for the pantry to eat," said Lili.

"We're above them. We have the advantage," said Kaz.

Bell looked around. The only way up to his location was a single ramp connected to their cliff. If they could trap all of the monsters on that ramp, they could be picked off with little fear of retaliation. "Okay, I'll lure them up this ramp," said Bell.

"Alright, just watch out for the poison spores of the Dark Funguses," said Lili.

Bell, Welf, and a Baby Dragon illusion gathered by the entrance to the ramp. When Bell gave the signal, Kaz blanketed the valley with clouds which dumped hail upon the monsters. They tried to escape, but the slippery ice clumps kept causing them to fall or otherwise slow down. Haruhime and Lili fired shots into the crowd, killing more than a dozen helpless monsters. Some of them noticed the group up top and made a beeline for the ramp.

Bell sent numerous Firebolts which blasted the first half dozen monsters. However, their sheer numbers meant some were able to reach the ramp's top. Bell retreated with a Dark Fungus in pursuit. It crested the ramp and got chopped in half by Welf. Bell turned and cut down another, plus a Hobgoblin trying to rush their line. Kaz sniped at the ones gathered at the ramp's bottom, picking off three with ice beams. Haruhime fired more dark bolts, landing hits on two Hobgoblins and a Dark Fungus.

The crowd was starting to thin out, only two dozen monsters remaining. Lili and the Familia mages sniped ten, leaving only two surviving. Welf sliced the second last, a Dark Fungus, in half. He turned and plunged his sword into the face of the final Hobgoblin. The monster doubled over and vanished, leaving behind its stone. "Good work," said Bell, seeing only magic stones litter the area.

Kaz started to wash the stones into a pile for Lili and Haruhime. "Wow, that was a big haul. This must be worth a fortune!" said Welf.

The Familia travelled down a bridge and reached the western side of F24. They entered a large chamber with a single tree growing in the middle. Inside a hole in the tree was a pile of Valis, solid gold coins of unknown denomination. The group stopped, seeing a guard in front. "That's a Green Dragon. Those are Lv4," said Lili.

"Should we tackle that thing?" asked Welf.

"We managed to take down Goliath. I think we can handle it, especially now that we're all stronger than before," said Bell. "Let's give it a shot!"

The others nodded. "It's probably going to breathe at us as we go in," said Lili. "Okay Haruhime, send in the illusion."

"Right!" said the Renard.

The illusory Baby Dragon charged in with the others following behind. As predicted, the Green Dragon inhaled. Welf was a step ahead, casting a Will -O'-Wisp to explode its breath. The Green Dragon was taken aback. In its shock, it let the illusionary Baby Dragon close to its left and bite into its neck. Kaz, Lili, and Haruhime ran to its right. Bell closed in from the left and started slicing at the green dragon's side. Welf moved to the back to start working on the left hind leg to disrupt its mobility.

Kaz, Lili, and Haruhime scored several hits to its exposed flank. The Green Dragon tossed off the illusion, then butt Bell and lashed Welf with its tail. Before it could breathe fire, Kaz and company hit it with shots to the head. The dragon stopped and turned to them, allowing Kaz to score another head shot, drawing the dragon's ire to him. It started to breathe fire at him, which he blocked by forming an ice shield over his arms. The heat was intense and the force behind it was strong and pushed Kaz back.

Welf intervened with Will-O'-Wisp, triggering an explosive Ignis Fatuus upon the dragon's face and stopping its flames. Kaz immediately went low, kneecapping the dragon's left hind leg with an ice beam. The illusionary Baby Dragon pounced on the green dragon, gripping its left front leg. Welf ran in and impaled the dragon in its hind quarters. It roared in agony. Bell pounced onto its neck and let loose a flurry of slashes. He sent a Firebolt into the open wound, blowing off the dragon's head.

With its head separated from its body, the dragon collapsed. It left behind a large magic stone certain to be worth a fortune. The Hestia Familia exchanged high-fives. "Phew! Great work guys!" said Bell.

 **END OF CHAPTER**


	10. Chaos 10 - Demonic Invasion

Disclaimer:  
DanMachi was created by Fujino Omori. Shin Megami Tensei was created by Atlus. This story uses reference material from them.

 **Demons of the Dungeon  
By: RB3  
Chaos in Orario 10: Demonic Invasion**

The Hestia Familia returned to the Babelite base, successful in their exploration of the Dungeon. They had gathered a massive amount of crystals, as well as the treasure from a green dragon's tree. However, they could not cash the crystals in yet, not until it was safe to return to the surface. Fortunately, the Babelites had provided them free room and board as part of their protection. The Familia members hoped they could resolve the Hecate matter soon and return to the church.

Hestia called in the Familia members for updates starting with Kaz. "Let's see if you got that level yet," said Hestia.

 **Kazuya Minegishi**  
Lv 2 - 3

Str: F - I  
Vit: S - I  
Dex: SS - I  
Agi: S - I  
Mgc: SSSS - I

 **Skills**  
Mystical Attunement  
Water / Ice Absorb  
Energetic Reservoir  
Dragon Slayer (+stats vs dragons & reptiles)

 **Magic**  
Water Sculptor  
Drain  
Ars Goetia (summon a demon, depending on Lv and Mgc)

 **Dev Abilities**  
Status Resist H  
Mage G

Kaz had reached Lv3 and gained the skill, Dragon Slayer. It was a result of his slaying of a Baby Dragon solo for Lv2 and the green dragon with the rest of the Familia for Lv3. This ability was a powerful one, as some of the most prominent and dangerous monsters were dragons. These included certain Floor Bosses like Cadmus. In combination with ice magic, he was doubly dangerous to any dragon who dared cross his or the Hestia Familia's path.

His new spell, Ars Goetia, was the art of summoning demons. It was similar to Haruhime's Uga no Mitama. It was a reflection of Kaz's true self as Abel, demon lord and King of Bel. Abel and the Survivors worked closely with demons as a norm. Like Haruhime's illusions, demons were great filler party members. The Hestia Familia's weakness had always been low membership, which Haruhime and Kaz's summoning abilities helped cover.

"Congratulations Kaz. You're Lv3 now," said Hestia, pressing a parchment to his back.

Kaz got up and took the parchment. "Good, good! Leonard won't be easy to beat. We need all the power we can get."

When he left, Lili came in and seemed very eager. "You look happy," said Hestia.

"I think this is will be my time," said Lili. "I just know it."

 **Liliruca Arde**  
Lv 1 - 2

Str: H - I  
Vit: G - I  
Dex: S - I  
Agi: D - I  
Mgc: D - I

 **Skills**  
Alter Assist  
Monster Drop + (monsters drop items more often, forms extra low-value magic stones from monster remains)

 **Magic**  
Cinderella - Cinderella + (become another living being even if size varies, but use more mind)

 **Dev Abilit** **ies**  
Status Resist I

She had upgraded her existing spell, Cinderella, removing most of its former limits. Lili could turn into a small mouse or even a large dragon, with all of the form's traits and abilities. Since such a form differed so much from her original one, it drained her mind rapidly. To mitigate this, she would need to increase her level and magic rating, or limit the time she spent in the new form. It was appropriate for her, as someone who always wanted to be someone else. Now, she could be whoever she wanted, whenever she wanted.

Before joining Hestia, Lili had quite the greedy side, stealing from whoever crossed her path. It was to earn enough money to pay for her release from Soma, as well as to get back at adventurers who wronged her. Her desire for money caused her to gain Monster Drop +. It increased the loot that dropped from monsters, in the form of small magic stones and body parts. Though low in value, that extra loot would add up in earnings over time.

When Lili saw the parchment, her eyes widened in elation. "Lv2? Yes!" she cried. "Finally! FINALLY! I'm an elite adventurer! Woohoo!"

"Congratulations Lili!" said Hestia. "Just be careful of that upgrade to your spell."

Hestia told Lili what she noticed about the upgraded Cinderella and the dangers it represented. "Okay, I'll practice with the spell when I get the chance. Thank you goddess."

Lili dressed and left to meet the others. "Hey Lili, I heard the good news," said Bell. "Congratulations!"

"Yeah, great work!" said Kaz.

"It's about time!" said Welf.

"Yeah, it's my turn now. Wish me luck!" said Haruhime. She headed in to get her update.

 **Haruhime Sanjouno**  
Lv 1 - 2

Str: G - I  
Vit: G - I  
Dex: C - I  
Agi: C - I  
Mgc: S - I

 **Magic**  
Uchide no Kozuchi  
Uga no Mitama  
Kokonoe

 **Dev Abilities**  
Mage I (improves magic use)  
Status Resist I (resist status ailments)

Haruhime got Lv2 and had finally come to her own as a Familia mage. Her most important ability was the Mage ability, which enhanced magic use in a number of ways from range to damage and reduced mind costs. "Wow! You too Haruhime!" said Hestia.

She gave Haruhime a copy of the parchment with her stats. "Lv2? Wow!" said Haruhime, putting on her kimono.

"Three level ups in one day? We're on a roll!" said Hestia. The next to come in was Welf.

 **Welf Crozzo**  
Lv 2 - 3

Str: A - I  
Vit: A - I  
Dex: B - I  
Agi: B - I  
Mgc: H - I

 **Skills**  
Crozzo Blood  
Spell Grounding (draw in & dissipate magical energy, uses mind)  
Heart Container

 **Magic**  
Will O' Wisp

 **Dev Abilities**  
Blacksmith F  
Mystery H  
Two-Handed I (+stats when using a two-handed weapon)

"You too Welf? That's awesome!" said Hestia.

Despite his ability to make magic swords, Welf despised them. Magic swords were involved in some of Rakia's worst atrocities, including the incineration of elven forests. This led to the spirits cursing the Crozzo line, which denied them the ability to make new magic swords until Welf was born. Many people hounded him for magic swords, all for personal glory, which disgusted him. Welf's hatred of these weapons caused him to develop abilities perfectly suited for countering them and normal magic.

He also gained the Two-Handed ability due to his preference for heavier weapons needing both hands to wield. "Two-handed and Spell Grounding? Nice!" said Welf.

Once Welf left, Bell came in for his own latest update. "I hope we get the full set tonight," said Hestia.

"Okay goddess, let's see how I improved," said Bell.

 **Bell Cranel**  
Lv 3 - 4

Str: SS - I  
Vit: SS - I  
Dex: SS - I  
Agi: SSS - I  
Mgc: A - I

 **Skill**  
Realis Phrase  
Argonaut  
Giant Slayer

 **Magic**  
Firebolt

 **Dev Abilities**  
Luck G  
Status Resist G  
Escape I (+speed when evading pursuers or danger)

"You too? Awesome! That's the whole Familia!" said Hestia. She pressed a parchment for Bell to read. As usual, Realis Phrase was blacked out, to avoid letting Bell know about it. "Escape? That's an unusual choice..."

"It was the best ability I could get," replied Bell.

As a skill, Escape could only be acquired on or after Lv4. Bell acquired this ability from all of the escaping he had done, especially from intimate moments with Ais Wallenstein. It was seen as a dishonourable ability due to implications of cowardice. However, not only could Escape get him out of a sticky situation, it could help him put his enemies into one. Bell could provoke enemies, then use Escape to lure them into a deadly ambush.

"Actually, that may not be such a bad choice, now that I think about it," said Hestia.

"Lili and Kaz come up with some cool strategies. I thought it would work well to carry them out," said Bell, putting his shirt back on.

"Yeah," replied Hestia. "I hope we can get this demon stuff over with soon."

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The Survivors descended from F67, coming upon a forest outside of the tunnel. They released aerial demons to scout the land and found two major landmarks nearby. The first was a ruined temple to the north. The second was a medieval city to the south with a castle at its heart. It was surrounded by protective walls. They chose to go to the city and approached an entry arch. The name plate identified the city as Order City. It and the ruined temple formed the heart of the floor.

The majority of Order City's stores and shops were located on its west side. The Survivors split up to raid the stores with Atsuro heading to the magic stores in the northwest. One store had a sign with a white wand, indicating that supportive white magic was sold here. The other sign next door to the west had a black wand sign, indicating that offensive black magic was sold in the store. Atsuro found nothing of interest, so he left the shops and returned to the fountain where he met the others.

"Did you find anything good?" asked Atsuro.

"Just potions, like last time," replied Midori.

"I found these special seeds in the item shop," replied Yuzu. "My comp told me they could improve the stats of an adventurer when eaten."

"Awesome!" said Midori. "Our friends in the Hestia Familia would love these."

The Survivors made their way to Order Castle in the north. Inside the main hall, they discovered a tablet with words carved onto it. "To bring Anarchy to the world, brave the elements," read Midori. "A cave within the rotting Earth... A shrine beneath the blackest Water... A volcano rising from the heart of Fire... A castle floating in the Air..."

"Let's check that shrine to the north," said Atsuro.

The Survivors flew to the shrine to the north. Inside the central room, they found a single crystal orb situated on top of an altar with a tablet behind it. At a distance from the corners of the altar were statues which depicted the elements in their physical form. Earth was at the southwest, fire was at the southeast, water was to the northwest, and air was to the northeast. "This is the Last Reverie. Beyond this Shrine of Chaos lies secrets of the forgotten past," said Midori, reading the writing carved onto the tablet.

"There's a staircase down behind the tablet," said Yuzu, looking around.

"Let's look around this temple first," said Atsuro.

The Survivors went to each corner of the Shrine of Chaos, where they found rooms with treasure chests in them. Yuzu went to the northwest room and found a single healing potion and camping gear in it. Midori went to the southwest room and found only a leather cap. Atsuro went to the southeast and found a plain steel sword in it. The group converged on the northeast and found only another steel sword in that room.

"Okay, let's go home. I think that's enough for one day," said Atsuro.

The Survivors had returned to the Babelite base after their exploration of the Dungeon. Yuzu laid out the seeds for the Hestia Familia to examine and poured glasses of water for them. The seeds were a set of five, each a different colour representing the stat it raised. Red was strength, blue was magic, yellow was dexterity, and green was agility. The last colour, a standard brown colour, was for vitality.

"How should we distribute them?" asked Yuzu.

"I think we should focus on the weaker Familia members to get them up to speed," said Lili.

"I agree, but we should also make sure we have synergy," said Hestia. "My first hunch was to go with strength to Welf, magic to Haruhime, and dexterity to Lili."

She placed the seeds in front of their intended recipient. "Ah, so you want to improve our offensive power," said Welf. "Smart..."

"Uhuh," replied Hestia. "That leaves agility and vitality."

"I think Lili and Haruhime should get one of these," said Kaz. "These are the stats which help with survival."

"Hmm... Let's go with Lili taking agility and Haruhime vitality," said Hestia.

"Bottoms up!" said Welf, taking the strength seed with a glass of water. Just seconds after, his muscles started to bulge more noticeably and he felt lighter than before. "Wow, these things really work, but uggh! My tongue's still burning."

"Mmm, savoury!" remarked Haruhime, taking her vitality seed with a glass of water. She took the magic seed immediately afterwards. "Minty..."

"I'm kinda regretting our decision. That dexterity seed was so bitter! The agility was even worse. It was sour! Arggh!" remarked Lili, washing down the taste with water.

"Now would be a good time to do an update," said Kaz. "You may want to hurry. My real self is closing in on the Hecate Familia's hideout. We'll be moving soon."

"Okay," said Hestia.

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More than a month had passed since the Hestia Familia went into hiding from the Hecate Familia and its demons. Since that time, the Hestia Familia's home church had become covered with dust and cobwebs. During this time, Eina continued her work at the Guild, advising new adventurers. "At your current ability, you should be able to head to F12," she told a young dwarven adventurer.

"Thank you Eina," said the dwarf.

The dwarf left and business slowed down at the Pantheon. Eina looked over at a poster of the Hestia Familia. They had been declared missing and the Guild asked for anyone who had information to contact them immediately. She sighed. "Bell, where are you? What have you gotten yourself into?"

Meanwhile, Finn had talked to a different member of the Guild about a quest. Several knight-like demons had been spotted in an abandoned warehouse in the Smithy District during the night. They have attacked people walking through the area and the Guild feared they would kill someone in the future. The Loki Familia was to clean out the demons for a reward of 8M Valis. Finn received the contract and pocketed it.

When night fell, the junior officers of the Loki Familia made their way to the warehouse described in the contract. It was a dilapidated building once used to store ore for the Hephaestus Familia. They went inside and saw that the building was surprisingly free of dust and cobwebs. "Where are these demons?" asked Bete. "I want to get this over with as soon as possible. This is the third time they've asked us to clean out demons. I'm getting tired of all these demon contracts."

"Calm down, Bete. We'll just have Lefiya barbecue the lot of them and we'll be home before you know it," said Tiona.

"Shh, they're here!" said Bete.

The Loki Familia entered combat stances. They saw what looked like pixelated fields suddenly appear. They coalesced into a dozen red knights with demonic horns who rode on horseback. These demons, Eligor, all carried spears. One of them charged at Bete, who leapt up and kicked the rider off of his horse. After clanging against the ground, the rider got up and charged. Bete sidestepped and kicked the demon's legs, momentarily stunning him. With a rotating leg sweep, he sent the knight to the ground.

Ais conjured an Ariel spell around her body. She darted at an Eligor and slashed him, simultaneously pummelling him with the wind and dismounting him. She darted at a second, knocked him off the horse. A split-second passed and she struck at the third, but that one was ready for her and parried her blow. "Time to bail!" cried Tione.

The group retreated and allowed Lefiya to finish a Fusillade Fallarica. Beams of flame descended upon the Eligor and incinerated them instantly "At least fire works on these ones," said Lefiya.

The Loki Familia returned to their senior officer, Finn, and reported the successful completion of the contract. "Good work everyone. You are making the streets of Orario safe for everyone," said Finn.

"Is it just my imagination, or does it seem like we're running into more and more demons lately?" asked Ais.

"Yeah, and stronger ones too," said Lefiya.

"It's happening to everyone. I heard the Freya Familia got extermination contracts like we did. The Demeter Familia caught imps wrecking their crops, so they sent adventurers to chase them out," said Finn. "The Hestia Familia disappeared ever since the demons started appearing. I hope they weren't eaten."

"Please be safe Bell," Ais thought to herself.

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During the night, a figure cloaked in black approached a sewer maintenance door. It was an old, dilapidated steel door with rust starting form on its edges. It was next to a large grate which once allowed water to flow out. In modern times, with its advances in magic stone technology, all water had been rerouted down new channels. The figure looked around cautiously, then entered. A few seconds later, Abel stepped out from behind a tree.

The next night, Yog-Sothoth delivered the Hestia Familia and the Survivors to the entrance of the abandoned sewer system. "We're going in from here," said Abel. "Good luck in the back."

"Okay good luck to you too," said Bell. Yog continued onward, towards a derelict meeting hall.

The Survivors made their way forward past the lengthy tunnels. They soon came across some cultists and a group of Decarabia. Abel turned his arm into a vine and lashed three of the cultists. Yuzu hurled air blasts which put another three onto the floor. The Decarabia advanced, but Midori blasted them with flame. The demons fumbled around in terror before perishing. After advancing further, they reached the penultimate chamber.

It was a lobby for the Hecate Familia's main ritual site. A demon resembling a woman dressed in blue and white stood in their path. She was seated on a two-humped camel and known as Gremory. Suddenly, a tremor rocked the sewer system, knocking plaster loose from the roof. "I have a bad feeling about this," said Atsuro.

"Leave this one to us," said Yuzu.

"Hurry and stop the ritual!" said Midori.

Abel teleported past Gremory and into the next room, a large circular reservoir. Bleachers had been installed around a lower central circle, likely by illegal fight promoters who had used the location as an arena. Paimon's sigil had been inked on the ground and Hecate and Medea stood nearby. Bell's group had already arrived, but were in a stand off with Leonard, who kept them from reaching the centre, where a new demon stood.

He was like Gremory, seated on a purple camel, but was a naked, yellow-skinned man instead of a woman. The only clothing he wore was a checkered cloak and a wooden crown with claw-like points. "You're too late!" said Leonard. "Paimon is here. Chaos shall claim Orario!"

"Not if I destroy him!" said Abel.

"We'll see about that. Paimon, remove the King of Bel from my sight," said Hecate. Paimon did nothing. "What are you doing?"

"I move when I want," said Paimon. "The weak have no right to order me around!"

"I am your master, Paimon! I summoned you to this world!" said Hecate.

"Did you not hear what I said?" asked Paimon. "It's time you learned your place."

With a wave of Paimon's hand, a gust of wind hurled Hecate to the ground. "Goddess!" cried Medea, before she too was blown down.

"Now for you," said Paimon, directing a blast of air to Abel.

However, the wind washed over him, causing him no harm. "That won't work on me," said Abel.

"Of course not. How about this?" asked Paimon.

He caused a tremor to rock the sewer system. It was so powerful that even those above in Orario could feel it. Blacksmiths preparing to close their shops for the night struggled to maintain balance. A box full of hot coals spilled over onto one of the smiths. He screamed in agony, but his friends could only look on, barely able to stand themselves. In the Pantheon, Eina had been reviewing an adventurer's Falna sheet. The tremor rocked the building, causing a pen to roll off a desk and papers to spill out of a shelf.

Back at the sewer, the rumbling continued. "He's bringing the whole place down! Get in here quickly!" Abel cried to the Hestia Familia.

He had raised a violet, dome-like barrier under which Bell's group ran for cover. The rubble buried the group, still hiding beneath Abel's barrier. Paimon had smashed through the roof and entered Orario with Leonard following close behind. "Saemon! Saemon!" called a trio of voices moments later.

"Over here!" cried Bell.

The group heard stirring outside, like rubble being moved. Soon, the light of the stars shone through. The sound quickened until the group was unearthed. "Are you guys okay?" asked Yuzu.

"Yeah, we got under Abel's shield just in time," said Lili.

"Now we have a big problem," said Abel. "Paimon's on the loose, as is Leonard."

"Not only that, a rift has opened above the city!" said Midori.

She pointed to a crimson fissure in the sky over a nearby building. It was one of many which had started to open above the city of Orario. The crimson light of the Expanse flooded in, along with a horde of demons. A leopard-man wearing a green cape, Ose, approached the group with a threatening glare. Bell shot it in the chest with a Firebolt. Ose got blasted down, but arose just a moment later. It swung a sword at Bell, who parried the blow meant for his head.

After Bell pushed the sword away, Ose parried one of Bell's thrusts. Bell backed away and waited for the next strike. Ose made it as a thrust towards Bell's heart. Bell sidestepped, then charged in with his own thrust to Ose's heart. Ose crumpled and vanished, but another two dropped in. Kaz scored a lethal hit to the head with an ice beam. Welf parried the second's two slashes. He feinted high, then came in low with a thrust through the belly. Victory was short lived, for a new group of demons appeared.

"We'll take care of these ones," said Midori.

"Okay, we'll chase down Paimon and Leonard," said Abel, before running in pursuit of Paimon and Leonard.

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Paimon and Leonard felt a hunger, one that could only be sated by vast quantities of magic stones. They sensed a large concentration and stormed west through the city to reach it. Along the way, they encountered panicked citizens. Paimon blasted them with wind, hurling them into buildings, commercial stalls, even each other. His victims were battered and bloodied, as were the objects they crashed into. As the strong, it was their right to trample the weak wherever they went.

A small group of adventurers blocked their path through the Smithy District. Paimon blasted them with wind, sending them hurtling into buildings and barrels. "We're being followed," said Leonard.

"Deal with them," said Paimon.

Leonard broke away to stop whoever it was that tailed them. Paimon continued westward and entered a vacant square, where he was stopped by a more powerful group of adventurers, those of the Loki Familia. "That's as far as you'll go," said Bete.

"We won't let you destroy anymore of the city," said Ais.

"As if you could stop me," said Paimon.

Paimon hurled a massive blast of wind, which the group evaded. The blast continued to a building and levelled it. Ais darted in with Ariel active and slashed Paimon, but her blade and her wind got blunted by a crimson barrier. Bete leapt in for a kick, but got blunted by the barrier. Paimon blasted him with wind, but his greaves absorbed the attack. Paimon kept the magic upon Bete until the greaves were full and overflowing. Bete got suspended in the air, then launched through a house window.

"Bete!" cried Tione.

Lefiya released her spell, Wynn Fimbulvetr. The square became coated in ice, freezing its way towards Paimon. The demon did nothing as the ice closed in. It reached him, then exposed a blue barrier, and turned back the way it came. Lefiya soon realized, to her horror, that her own spell was about to hit her. It was the last thing she saw before she was frozen in ice. All of it shattered and she collapsed, coated in frost and unconscious from hypothermia.

"Lefiya!" cried Ais.

Ais tried to strike Paimon again, but it was no use. Paimon blasted her into a nearby awning, which actually broke Ais' fall. Tiona and Tione pounced on Paimon, who whipped up a quick whirlwind around his body to repel them. They righted themselves and landed on their feet. Ais rejoined them and the two sides stared each other down. Paimon gathered air in his hand in preparation for a final attack.

Suddenly, a violet beam struck Paimon in the back! He got hurled into a house, crashing inside and bringing the roof crashing down. The others looked to the source, which was Abel. "Grab your friends and run. You can't hope to defeat this foe."

The camel got upright and Paimon hopped on. "Damn you King of Bel! You're always getting in my way!"

Paimon hurled a blast of wind at Abel, who dissipated it. Abel blasted Paimon with another almighty beam, blasting him further back into another house which collapsed on top of him. "GO!" he cried to the Loki Familia.

They obeyed Abel's command with Tione carrying the unconscious Bete away. Ais grabbed Lefiya and left with Tiona, leaving Abel with Paimon. Paimon got up, despite taking two devastating hits in a row. "You'll regret the day you crossed my path," said Paimon.

He hurled a violet orb of almighty energy. Abel tried to block, but the Megido spell's explosion levelled the square and blasted Abel across the city. Abel crashed through a bank, going through to a flower shop and landing inside. The bank had collapsed, but the shop remaining standing. Fortunately, nobody was inside either building, having been scared off by the demons. Scarlet appeared and applied healing magic to help her lover recover. Abel was able to stand and eventually returned to normal.

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Back at the Smithy District, the Hestia Familia had cornered Leonard. Bell blasted him with five Firebolts, staggering the goat demon momentarily. When he regained composure, Leonard charged in with a punch. Bell avoided the blow, and another two. Leonard went low and connected with a right to Bell's gut. As Bell stumbled back, Leonard caught him with a left to the chin, sending Bell to the ground. Kaz struck true with an ice beam to the head, dazing Leonard momentarily. He started to Drain Leonard, but he recovered and blocked it.

Leonard jetted flames, which Kaz blocked with a shield of ice, yet was still knocked down. Kaz's water elemental, an Aquans demon, and Haruhime's two illusionary trolls pounced upon Leonard. Leonard backhanded the Aquans with ease. The troll illusions tried to club him from opposite sides, but Leonard caught their weapons. After tossing the weapons away, Leonard quickly punched the right one, then the left.

Lili fired arrows at him, but they had no effect. Haruhime fired dark bolts at him, still with no effect. "Fools! You won't hurt me with those toys," said Leonard.

He gathered flame in hand to finish them, but a Will O' Wisp spell detonated it in an ignis fatuus explosion. Leonard was taken aback and suddenly slipped on a conveniently placed ice patch and cracked his head against the ground. Bell dropped on him with the Hestia Knife, charged white by Argonaut. He plunged it into Leonard's skull, piercing through to the ground and killing Leonard instantly. "We did it," said Bell.

Welf emerged from a pile of armour near a smithy, revealing himself as the caster of Will O' Wisp. "We got our revenge!" said Welf.

"Yeah, but the fight isn't over. It's only starting," said Kaz. He donated energy to the team as sparkles of violet light.

"Which way?" asked Haruhime.

"Let's join my friends," said Kaz.

 **END OF CHAPTER**


	11. Chaos 11 - Truth & Reconciliation

Disclaimer:  
DanMachi was created by Fujino Omori. Shin Megami Tensei was created by Atlus. This story uses reference material from them.

 **Demons of the Dungeon  
By: RB3  
Chaos in Orario 11: Truth and Reconciliation**

Scarlet continued to apply healing magic to her beloved Abel in the rubble of ruined shops. "The Hestia Familia got Leonard," Abel told his friends through telepathy.

"Good," said Atsuro. "It looks like the adventurers are rallying around the Loki Familia by the Twilight Manor. We're following the main road north of the tower to join them."

"Okay, Bell's group will meet you," said Abel. "I'm going after Paimon."

At an intersection at the halfway point, a group of pink-skinned, ogre-like demons surrounded Atsuro's group. They were armed with scimitars. "Yaksas," remarked Yuzu.

Midori raised a wall of fire across the south end of the street, but the yaksas charged through it without fear. Hector caught one that tried to pounce in and tossed him away. Another leapt in to attack, only to take a series of punches to the face. Black Frost cast a lightless cloud of miasma over a trio of yaksas. They were rotted away instantly. Cait Sith whipped a tornado which sucked in another three and flung them away.

Yuzu's Mothman demon evaded a yaksa's energy beam. He breathed a black miasma cloud which consumed another yaksa. Yuzu herself hurled air blades, cutting down a yaksa which tried to pounce on her. "They're so many!" said Yuzu, slicing another with a hurled air blade.

"Don't lose faith!" said Midori.

At that moment, a Firebolt blasted one of the yaksas from behind. Although unharmed by it, it drew the demon's attention to the Hestia Familia, who approached from a side road. "It's good to see you guys!" said Yuzu.

Kaz shot one of the yaksas through the head with an ice beam. His friends ran in with Welf meeting the first and parrying his foe's scimitar. The two exchange blows, neither side able to connect a clean hit. Welf feinted a chop to the head, tricking his foe into a high parry. He then went low and impaled the yaksa through the belly. The demon collapsed and vanished into nothingness. Welf saw a second charge at him with a flurry of strikes, yet he managed to parry each attack.

Welf slipped past a missed chop and connected a diagonal slash across the chest. The yaksa suffered only a minor wound, easily ignored as he swung for Welf's left shoulder, forcing him to parry. "These things are tough," said Welf. "I made a large slash across the chest and he only got a small cut!"

"They're immune to fire and resist physical attacks," said Kaz. "We'll need non-fire magic to take them out."

"You've got the magic. Whip us up a good blizzard!" said Welf, parrying a scimitar swing.

Kaz summoned a large blizzard above the yaksas between the Hestia Familia and the Survivors. All the yaksas became chilled and displayed noticeably reduced vigour and aggression. A few started to freeze solid. Lili fired arrows into a pair of them. They stumbled back before yanking out the arrows and continuing their advance. Haruhime fired a dark bolt into the face of a yaksa, mangling him fatally. She then cast Uga no Mitama. The three fiery blue spirits formed Dark Funguses and sprayed poison spores as a virulent violet cloud.

The yaksas accidentally inhaled them and became sickened. As they collapsed, the enemy's numbers had fallen to such a degree that the Hestia Familia had opened a path to regroup with the Survivors. "Let's finish these guys off. I've had enough of them," said Atsuro.

Kaz widened the snow storm, so as to encompass the entire intersection. As the yaksas trudged through the snow, Kaz struck four of them with a Drain spell. The four felt their strength erode even further, until they expired. The other demons fought through the weather to reach Atsuro, who punched the nearest one down the street. Another tried to pounce on him, but he shocked it out of the air with lightning. Tulzcha latched himself around a third and tossed it far away.

The combined group had finished off the yaksas and continued north. There, they encountered a group of adventurers manning a barricade. The barricade itself had been constructed out of objects grabbed from the nearby buildings. It included tables and chairs from a restaurant and a broken door torn from the hinges of the same building. It also included a refrigerator and even a literal kitchen sink taken from an apartment.

The adventurers saw the demons travelling with the group and readied weapons. "Don't attack! We're friends!" cried Bell, running up to the front.

From behind the lines, some familiar people noticed Bell among the unidentified group. "Bell!" cried one of them.

"Ais!" cried Bell in return, as she ran to meet him.

"Argonaut!" said Tiona.

Ais, Tiona, and Tione ran out to meet Bell. "We're glad to see you're okay. We were worried. You haven't dropped by to see me in over a month," said Ais.

"Who're your new friends and why do they have demons following them?" asked Tiona.

"It's a long story," said Bell. "To make it short, they came here to stop the Hecate Familia, who caused all this trouble. They hid us from them and helped us train so we could fight them."

"I see, thank you," said Ais.

"You're welcome!" said Midori.

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Paimon continued on his way westward to the source of magic crystals. Suddenly, an eerie white light got cast over him, searing him painfully! A volley of orbs slammed into his body, knocking him off of his camel and carrying him far to the east side of Orario. He crashed through a guard tower and blew up a dirt cloud upon hitting the ground. When Paimon regained his composure, he found himself in the wilderness outside of the city. Abel teleported into view, now fully recovered from having been blasted into buildings.

"That's enough. It's time to finish this," said Abel.

"Took the words right out of my mouth," said Paimon.

Paimon set off another Megido spell upon Abel, but this time, the King of Bel was ready for it. He braced himself as the blast disintegrated a massive crater in the ground. He had avoided taking high damage by raising a violet barrier around his body. Yog fired orbs at Paimon, but the demon managed to avoid each, until one caught him from a blind spot. Staggered, he was chopped from behind by Mao's paddle. Scarlet appeared and leeched energy from Paimon. She then donated the power to her master.

Paimon hurled Megido spells, two of which struck Mao and Yog, blasting them away. The third struck Abel, blasting him into the air and knocking Scarlet aside. He corrected and landed in a crouching position several metres away. Satisfied, Paimon approached to finish the job with Megido spell prepared in hand. Suddenly, the Seal of Bel appeared on the ground. The sigil glowed with violet light and depicted a tree-like spade with four roots in a circle.

Paimon had been caught in the centre and merely being exposed to its magic weakened him. It also bound him to the centre, making it difficult for him to move. "Damn this sigil!" said Paimon, trying to force his way out.

"This is where it ends for you," said Abel.

Abel opened a tear in the very fabric of reality itself. Paimon screamed in agony as the black void pulled him. The almighty energy radiated by it disintegrated his body, ripping him apart at the seams and disintegrating the individual pieces. Though victorious, Orario was not safe yet. He turned to the city and raised his hands into the air. A massive Seal of Bel formed under the city. The redness in the sky faded and one by one, the portals and fissures to the Expanse started to close.

At the Loki Familia line, the Survivors and Hestia Familia met a horde of demons. Hector hurled dozens of punches at Murmur. The demonic knight and his griffon got pummelled from every direction until his body gave out and disintegrated. Midori leapt into the midst of the enemy and released a massive burst of flame from her body. It incinerated demons by the dozen, leaving behind only charred ash. Although her demons were caught by her attack, they absorbed the flames, drawing strength from them.

Atsuro fired a golden energy blast at another Murmur and unseated him. When it got up, Atsuro fired another, only to have him block it. It charged in for a chop to the head, which Atsuro sidestepped. He tried to stab Atsuro, who dodged right. While he was overextended, Atsuro delivered a right hook to Murmur's chin. Murmur got launched into its allies, bowling them over like pins. Atsuro noticed violet light coming from the ground, then the redness of the sky starting to fade.

The portals and rifts to the Expanse were closing, barring the passage of demons into the physical world. However, those demons already present did not simply disappear and remained to continue the fight. Nevertheless, morale surged among the Loki Familia line. They cut down the surviving demons by the dozen, until none were left. When the streets of the city were clean, the adventurers let out a chorus of cheers with weapons raised in the air.

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A month had passed since the great battle between Orario and the demons. It had taken its toll on this once great beacon of adventure in the mortal world. Several buildings had been reduced to rubble by the powerful blows exchanged by both sides. The Smithy District had a massive fissure running along its length, following the abandoned sewer and heading out to the countryside. Even the countryside had several craters punched into it by Abel and Paimon's titanic battle.

Despite the gloom, there were many rays of hope. Many people outside Orario sent support to the city in the form of crates of food and drink. Guild workers opened these crates and handed rations and bottles of water to the homeless. Workers were present all throughout the city, toiling to restore Orario to its former self. Several houses were gaining a definite structure after diligent masonwork, yet many still lacked the walls, floors, and roofs needed to seal the building properly.

Luckily, the Hestia Familia's church had escaped destruction. Instead, cobwebs and dust had claimed it from neglect, but the Familia toiled to retake their home. Every member from Bell and Hestia to Kaz and Lili swept floors and dusted walls to restore the abandoned church. Bell and Hestia started to unload their possessions back home, now that the Hecate Familia was no longer a threat. The Hestia Familia also owed a hefty sum in back taxes.

Bell handed Eina the last of the Valis owed to the Guild. It left the Familia with only 10,000 Valis in their account. Upon returning home, Hestia slumped over in distress. "Don't worry, Goddess. We'll get that money back in no time," said Bell.

"The Babelites will stay around for awhile longer. We'll let your Familia use our portals for easy access to the Dungeon. I'll still be around to fight with Bell and the others," said Kaz. "Which reminds me, do you know who has the greatest authority in Orario?"

"Sure, that would be Ouranos. He runs the Guild and things around the city. Why do you ask?" asked Hestia.

"My friends and I are in discussion with our commanding officer," replied Kaz. "We think it's time we formally open relations with Orario. So far, we've kept things secret and quiet so people can get on with their lives undisturbed. That's not possible after this demonic invasion. We'll need to come out into the open."

"I see," said Hestia. "While I understand the position you're in, I think many of the other gods will be apprehensive."

"I know, but there isn't much choice," replied Kaz. "We feel that going forward, we'll need a unified front."

"Maybe you can offer a gift to get approval," suggested Bell. "What about that portal system you're letting us use? I'll bet lots of Familia would want that to get through the Dungeon faster."

"Aye," said Kaz. "I hope Orario and the Guild are willing to take our hand in friendship."

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At the Pantheon, numerous posters had been placed on the boards by the workers. A massive number of adventurers had received promotions to higher levels as a reward for the valour they had shown in defending Orario from destruction. An equally large obituary had been displayed, honouring those who had lost their lives defending the city from demons. Many curious adventurers crowded around to see.

"Hey Argonaut!" called Tiona.

"Come here!" called Tione.

Bell and the Hestia Familia found the Loki Familia's junior officers, save Bete, looking at the boards with several other adventurers. One of the posters had pictures of the Loki senior officers, who had achieved Lv7. "Finn, Riveria, and Gareth all got a level!" said Tiona, pointing to the poster.

Bell looked at the poster carefully. "The chief executives of the Loki Familia displayed great courage and leadership in rallying Orario's defenders against the demons. They have been promoted to Lv7," said Bell, reading the poster. "Congratulations!"

"Lefiya got to Lv4, and Raul and Cruz got to Lv5," said Tione, pointing at the adjacent poster.

"Everyone is ecstatic, especially our goddess," said Tiona.

"Yeah, that's awesome!" said Kaz.

"Thank you!" said Tiona.

"You should have seen Loki trying do those updates," said Tione.

The Take Mikazuchi Familia came to see the boards. "Hello," said Mikoto.

"Oh, hi!" said Welf. "Come to see who just got promoted?"

"Yep," replied Mikoto. She saw the faces of Ouka and Chigusa, as well as Ryoma the archer and Shinji the supporter on a poster. Ouka and Chigusa, who were at the peak of Lv2, both got promoted to Lv3. The others became Lv2. "Take Mikazuchi Familia has been promoted for their valour in the invasion and defeating the demon Dantalion."

"Congratulations Mikoto!" said Lili.

"Thank you," said Mikoto. "I'm sure you must have levelled too from that war."

"Actually, we levelled a bit before it," said Kaz. "We trained hard to stop Hecate, so we had earned our new levels beforehand."

"Here is the poster," said Haruhime. "It says we beat a green dragon on F24 as a Familia."

"I'm surprised Welf got to Lv3 so soon after Lv2," said Mikoto. "What's your secret?"

"Nothing special. We dieted, ate our vitamins, and trained hard every day," said Kaz. "Oh and Welf upgraded our gear. Yep, that all paid off."

"That must be some training," said Mikoto.

"Haruhime?" asked an amazon who just came into the building.

Haruhime turned to the speaker as saw an amazon with blue hair and a mischievous, beckoning expression. "Aisha?" asked the Renard.

"It really is you!" said Aisha. "I'm glad you're safe. When Freya attacked our Familia, I was worried that they might have taken your life."

"No, I'm okay. After Ishtar passed on, I joined the Hestia Familia and made many new friends. Meet Bell, Kaz, Welf, and Lili," said Haruhime.

"Hey nice to meet you all, especially you, handsome!" said Aisha, focusing on Bell.

"Where have you been? I was worried they might have gotten you too," said Haruhime.

"No, I got away after fighting past some Freya goons," said Aisha. "When I heard Ishtar fell off our home, I knew it was over. Everyone went their separate ways and I had no Familia. I've joined the Hermes Familia since then."

"We should catch up on old times some day," said Haruhime.

"Yeah, maybe later, when things calm down. Now that I know you're safe, we're in no hurry." Aisha looked at a poster announcing the promotions of the Hestia Familia. "Oh! You got a level too? Great!" Aisha looked at the clock. "Sorry, I gotta go. I'm glad I could see you again. See you soon," said Aisha.

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A man in hooded, concealing black robes entered a torch-lit chamber beneath the Pantheon. His name was Fels, the right hand man of Ouranos, the head of the Guild and the god who maintained the seal on the Dungeon. His patron was an elderly god in robes who sat upon a stone throne. Ouranos' throne rested on the top of a dais in the centre of the room and was surrounded by four torches which formed the points of a square.

"Master, I have received a message from a group calling themselves the Babelites," announced Fels.

"The Babelites? What is this group?" asked the elderly god, Ouranos himself.

"According to them, the Babelites are an advanced people with the technology to summon demons. They came from beyond the outer planes to investigate the demons entering our world. They found out the Hecate Familia was responsible and dispatched agents to stop them. Despite their efforts, the Hecate Familia still caused the invasion," replied Fels.

"I see, what do they want?" asked Ouranos.

"They want to open relations with us," replied Fels. "What should I tell them?"

"Tell them that the gods will hear them at the next Denatus," replied Ouranos. "Send them the details."

"Yes master," replied Fels.

Back at the Hestia church, the goddess received a message from the Guild. All of the gods in Orario were asked to attend a series of emergency Denatuses at the start of the next week. There were many topics to discuss, ranging from Orario's recovery efforts to the demonic invasion and measures against the next one. The first and biggest topic was the Babelites' desire to open relations with the gods and the city of Orario. Many of the gods wondered who they were.

"So Bell, this is it," said Hestia. "I hope this goes well."

"I hope so too," said Bell. "That last thing we need is another war on our hands."

"See you later, I'm off to the Denatus," said Hestia.

The Denatus building was a wide white building with two rectangular pools of water in its front yard. The light from the building reflected from the water's surface, giving it a golden shine. The building itself had a taller central hub connected to an east and west wing. Each wing housed meeting rooms for round table discussion of issues. While useable for lesser meetings between gods, these rooms were meant to hold the Denatus.

When the gods had gathered around a round table, they clearly kept distance from Hecate. They still harboured animosity from her role in Orario's destruction. The Guild had saddled her Familia with crushing fines to repair the damage caused by the demonic rampage. The Babelite representative was also present. She was a barefooted fairy, an elf-like being with insect wings who wore a green dress with yellow markings. She was blonde with a flower in her long hair.

"Hello, I am Titania, the fairy queen. I am here to represent the Babelites," said the fairy.

The gods greeted Titania. She introduced the Babelites as a people who came from a colony in the outer plane known as the Expanse. This plane was the origin of the demons which troubled Orario. On a routine patrol, they noticed fissures in the Expanse which led to the world of Orario. Some demons entered F65 of the Dungeon, but were stopped by the Babelites. Since then, more demons have tried to enter. Most were repelled by the Babelites, but some slipped through.

"These fissures were caused by Hecate summoning demons," said Titania. "They weakened the protective barrier around your world."

"Why were you summoning demons, Hecate?" asked a blonde goddess who wore a hoplite's helmet. She was Athena.

"They were trying to penetrate the boundaries between our world and the Expanse. In an earlier Denatus, I warned that if they got through, they'd overrun our city. Nobody listened to me, so I took matters into my own hands," replied Hecate.

"Yeah, by learning how to call more of those damn things. We wouldn't be in this mess if it weren't for you!" cried one of the gods.

"I did what I had to do to protect our city!" said Hecate. "None of you would lift a finger, so what other choice did I have?"

"Enough!" cried Loki. "Please continue."

Titania continued her story by telling the assembly that Babelite agents ascended the Dungeon to evaluate the situation in the city. They discovered that demons were operating cults in the city and proceeded to break them up. They did so quietly, operating at night so as to avoid disturbing the people. Then, they discovered the Hecate Familia's involvement. The Hecate Familia appeared to be researching how to summon and bind demons to combat other demons.

"So that Masked Mage was one of your agents?" asked Loki.

"Yes," replied Titania.

Hecate intended to summon Paimon as the culmination of their accumulated knowledge. However, the Hecate Familia was not powerful enough to bind a being of Paimon's power. The Masked Mage confronted Hecate about this and urged her stop. She continued despite his warnings and even kidnapped the Hestia Familia for use as hostages against him. The Babelites retaliated against the Hecate Familia for this kidnapping.

"So, this means you were responsible for wrecking the Hecate Familia home!" Hephaestus.

"It was a diversion so we could rescue everyone," replied Titania.

The gods talked among themselves in response to this revelation. Hecate knew the truth. The Masked Mage was the King of Bel and had placed one of his avatars in the Hestia Familia. Since he had befriended them, he would be upset at their kidnapping and strike back. Titania was likely one of Abel's demons, or at least one belonging to an ally. No doubt they were watching her, listening in on her. Knowing how powerful they were, being capable of stopping Paimon, she decided not to speak out and anger them any further.

Titania continued her speech. After rescuing the Hestia Familia, the Babelites brought them back to the Babelite base, which lingered in the Expanse. While the Hestia Familia was already supportive, they decided on a more hands-on approach. They decided to take the fight to the demons and the Hecate Familia directly. To prepare for the joint raid on the Hecate hideout, the Babelites armed and trained the Hestia Familia.

"Is this true, Hestia?" asked Take Mikazuchi.

"Is that how your Familia got so powerful?" asked Loki.

"Yeah," replied Hestia, forced to admit it due to these revelations.

"What kind of support did you give them?" asked Take Mikazuchi.

"We taught them how to battle demons. We also gave them treasures our explorers found on F65 and beyond," replied Titania.

"What kind of treasures?" asked Loki.

"Magic weapons which tap into the user's mind to cast spells, seeds which improve stats when eaten, gear which improve stats, a grimoire," replied Titania. "That's what I remember off the top of my head."

"What is it like on F65 and beyond?" asked the silver-haired goddess Freya.

"F65 is part of a stratum we call the 'Scenarios of the Planes,' which begins on F64 and ends on F68," replied Titania. "From F64 to F68, the rules of the Dungeon are different. You may find multiple Floor Bosses on some floors, depending on the floor. A few need you to solve puzzles before they will appear."

The gods started to gossip. "Multiple Floor Bosses?" asked Loki incredulously. "Wow! What more can you tell us?"

"These floors are massive, like exploring an entire country. They have uninhabited towns that act as safe zones. Their shops spawn items for the taking, which we donated to the Hestia Familia. There are also mini-Dungeons on some of these floors," continued Titania.

"How strong are the monsters there?" asked Loki.

"They range from Lv1 to as high as Lv7 in terms of the Falna, depending on location on the floor. Most of the Lv7 monsters spawn in the mini-Dungeons, as do the Floor Bosses," replied Titania. "We've gone off-topic a bit, so if you want to know more, we'll compile an information booklet for you."

"Still, that doesn't explain why they got promoted so quickly," said Hermes.

"Welf Crozzo created a magical stove called the Hearth of Hestia," said Titania. "It has the unique ability to transfer the energy of magic stones into any food cooked with it. It effectively gives someone with a Falna the same ability monsters have, the ability to eat magic stones to grow stronger."

"Wait, he can do that?" Hephaestus asked Hestia.

"Yeah," replied Hestia.

Hephaestus remembered how she had created that knife for Bell Cranel. It was empowered by Hestia's blessing, but even then, that was just a weapon enchantment. Creating a stove or hearth which could bake magic stone power into food was a different story. "How did he come up with this idea?" asked Hephaestus.

"My master studied your world's magic and Falna. In combination with Hestia's traits as a goddess, he was able to tip Crozzo on how to create the stove," said Titania.

"Just who is your master?" asked Hephaestus.

"He is Abel, the King of Bel, a powerful demon lord," replied Titania.

The gathered gods and goddesses gasped at that revelation. Hecate was not surprised, but at the same time, felt fearful. Now, she was certain Abel was watching these proceedings through his Titania. Hecate was relieved that she didn't blow his cover back then. "This Abel knows quite a lot about our world's workings. He might know more than we gods do," remarked Hephaestus. "How is that possible?"

"My master's primary domain is magic and its workings. He also has counts water and plants as his domains," replied Titania.

"I see... Would it be possible to create another of these stoves for my Familia?" asked Hephaestus.

"What about mine?" asked Loki.

All of the other gods started asking similar questions. "No, unfortunately," replied Titania. "It only worked because of Hestia's unique traits. He'd need to make a different artefact for you, with different powers from Hestia's."

"What would my artefact do?" asked Hephaestus.

"That ultimately depends on what your domains are as a goddess," replied Titania. She finished off the Babelite story with the Survivors joining Orario's adventurers in defending the city against the demons. "After revealing the truth, we hope to begin relations with Orario on a good foot. As part of this commitment, we're opening our transit system to the people of Orario."

"Transit system? Is that how your agents move through the Dungeon into our city?" asked Loki.

"Yes," replied Titania. "It is a system of portals which connect the safe zones of the Dungeon to our base and to Orario. Using this system, you can skip floors and reduce travel time through the Dungeon. However, we must insist on a toll for maintenance of this system. Thank you for your time. Goddess Hecate, my master requests to meet you at the cafe in front of the Pantheon tomorrow at nine in the morning. He'd like to speak with you."

"I don't think that's a good idea," said Hecate.

"He's not going to hurt you. He just wants to talk to you," said Titania.

"Okay," said Hecate.

 **END OF CHAPTER**


	12. Int 01 - Gaining His Religion

Disclaimer:  
DanMachi was created by Fujino Omori. Shin Megami Tensei was created by Atlus. This story uses reference material from them.

 **Demons of the Dungeon  
By: RB3  
Integration 1: Gaining His Religion**

The first Denatus ended on a positive note, even with the many shocking revelations made by Titania's speech. Once Hestia reached the church, she found a crowd of gods and goddesses around her home. "What's going here?" asked Hestia, weaving through the mass of people to reach Bell.

"They all wanted to buy food made with our new stove," said Bell.

"People, please settle down!" said Hestia.

"Yoohoo Bell!" called Freya, waving at him. "Over here!"

"Stay far away from him!" said Hestia, clinging to Bell's arm tightly.

Among the crowd was Hermes and Take Mikazuchi. "Hestia, how much does one portion of food cost?" asked Hermes.

"I want two dozen!" cried a random goddess.

"Hold on, hold on!" said Hestia. "We'll announce when we're ready to sell food. For now, please return home and wait."

The gods and goddesses left. During the night, the Hestia Familia discussed a business model for selling food cooked with the Hearth of Hestia. They decided that baking croquettes was the best model as Hestia already had lots of experience doing this. After accounting for the magic stones, ingredients, and profit margin, they decided on 100,000 Valis per croquette. It was very costly for a croquette, but due to high demand and the cost of the magic stones, this was necessary.

At the same time, the Babelites also discussed their portal system's toll. To simplify their system, they simply emulated the one used by existing subways back home. Each ticket cost 100,000 Valis for a one way trip, but any adventurer could opt for a more expensive monthly pass. This fare was easily payable by anyone who could reach at least F18, and thus would need the transport system. The Babelites also successfully acquired Abel's abandoned mine for use as a transport hub and garrison.

The next morning, Abel met with Hecate and Medea. The women joined him at a table outside a local cafe across the street from the Pantheon. Abel ordered coffee for each of them. "What did you want to talk to me about?" asked Hecate.

"First, let me get this out. You should have listened to my warning," replied Abel. "That said, at least everyone in Orario now understands the threat posed by the demons."

"Yeah, but my Familia is crushed under a billion Valis worth of debt," said Hecate. "It will take me many mortal lifetimes just to pay that off. Not only that, I've done more to destroy Orario than protect it."

"I understand, but right now Orario needs those with the capability to contain the demon threat. We need an alliance of Familia who could stand at the forefront of this. I want to ask your Familia to be part of this alliance," said Abel.

"My Familia? You saw what I've done!" said Hecate.

"That is why you must make amends," said Abel. "Your Familia worked hard to develop its demon summoning capability. I commend your efforts, but there's a responsibility with having this power. You've made mistakes, but you can come out of this a wiser summoner. Do you still truly want to protect Orario from the demons?"

"Yes," said Hecate.

"Then please join us," said Abel.

"Alright," said Hecate.

"Are you sure about this?" asked Medea.

"Yes," replied Hecate. "We need a united front to handle the demons."

"Okay, why don't you give the Hestia Familia a gift to get on their good graces?" asked Medea.

"Sure," said Hecate. "I could make it possible for the gods to make use of demons! Medea, how far did we get with those plates?"

"We managed to make a few, but they can only hold weaker demons. They would no chance against the things we went up against in the invasion. They'd only be good for the upper floors, housekeeping, and other odd jobs," said Medea.

"That's still useful. I could give Hestia something to help with the workload in her magic stone food business," said Hecate.

"So you have an idea. That's good. I'd like to see these plates you've been developing," said Abel.

"Sure, you can pass a few to Hestia on my behalf, as a way of apologizing for the things I've done," said Hecate.

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The next day came and the gods held the second Denatus. This meeting focused on the defence and security of Orario. After all the chaos in Orario, much of the Smithy District had been levelled or ripped open from Paimon's earthquake. Those smithies that remained standing had suffered charring or had holes torn into their walls. The fallen adventurers and dead civilians combined to number in thousands and hung a dark cloud over the mass promotions the surviving adventurers had received for their valour.

Looming in the distance was the threat of Rakia, a nation ruled by Ares, the god of war, and his Familia. They were a warmongering Familia who ruled over a country and loved to attack other countries and cities. Their main power came from the Crozzo family's ability to make magic swords, until the spirits stripped the Crozzos of that ability. Without that power, they could not compete with Orario's elite adventurers. In Orario's weakened state, that was a different story.

"We need our children in the Dungeon, gathering stones to fund our recovery," said Loki.

"No, we need to stop Rakia first. They're already on their way here!" said Athena. "We need to get ready!"

"I think I know a way out of this dilemma. Titania, would the Babelites be willing to dispose of Rakia for us?" asked Loki.

"Perhaps... Why do you ask us?" asked Titania.

"If you can remove Rakia, we can send our children into the Dungeon to earn more money to rebuild Orario," replied Loki.

"Hmm, I will take this request to my masters. Please provide us detailed intelligence on Rakia's capabilities," replied Titania.

"Very well, we'll prepare the report by the end of the week," said Loki.

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The third Denatus happened on the following day. It was for assigning new aliases to adventurers who got promoted after the chaos in Orario. Such events were largely entertainment. The gods often gave names that were silly and goofy. They also enjoyed giving names that were puns or oxymoronic as a joke, especially to adventurers from less prestigious Familia. However, adventurers of higher levels tended to get the more fearsome names to reflect their power, ability, and the respect they were due.

"Okay, let's see the next person. Bell Cranel... He's Lv4? Two level ups since the last Denatus? Is this real?" asked Loki

"Ooh, Bell is Lv4!" said Freya, looking at the information sheet with a greedy smile.

"He killed a Goliath at Lv2. How about we call him 'David?'" suggested Take Mikazuchi.

"David is good. I'll second it," said Hestia.

The name 'David' stuck with the rest of the gods. "Up next is Kazuya Minegishi. He has reached Lv3 after helping his Familia kill a green dragon, a monster equivalent to a Lv4 adventurer," stated Loki.

"He killed another dragon?" asked Take Mikazuchi.

"Yeah," replied Loki.

"He must really hate those things," remarked Soma.

"I vote to keep his current name," said Hestia. The vote passed with no objection.

The next person was Welf, currently known as 'Ignis,' but the gods stuck with that name. After that was Haruhime, Hestia's support mage, who had finally reached Lv2. "My children saw her use a spell which creates nine fox tails. Since she is a Renard, why don't we call her the 'Nine-Tailed Fox?'" suggested Take Mikazuchi.

"I'll second that," said Hestia.

Thus, the gods dubbed Haruhime the 'Nine-Tailed Fox.' "Last, but not least, is Liliruca Arde, the main supporter of the Hestia Familia," announced Loki.

Soma looked over the picture of Lili. This picture depicted her as a chienthrope, despite the fact that he knew she was a prum. "Secret Agent Chien!" announced Soma.

"Secret Agent Chien?" asked Loki.

"She's one sneaky girl. I've heard stories of her sneaking around, stealing things from my Familia members," said Soma.

The vote passed and thus, the gods dubbed Lili 'Secret Agent Chien.' "That's all for today. Dismissed," said Loki.

The Hestia Familia met back at the church, where Hestia informed them of their new aliases. "Secret Agent Chien?" asked Lili.

"That was Soma's idea, not mine. The gods voted on it already, so no changing it," said Hestia.

"I think it's a good name. It's got a sense of mystery and danger," said Haruhime. "My name isn't that exciting."

"Nine-Tailed Fox isn't a bad name," said Welf. "It's very appropriate."

"You really think so?" asked Haruhime.

"Yeah," replied Welf. "It's got that pun going for it. You're a Renard, so you're like a fox, and you're a beautiful girl."

"Oh, thank you Welf!" said Haruhime.

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The Babelites examined a pile of forms which detailed Rakia's known capabilities. As an army, Rakia had sent 30,000 soldiers to march on Orario. The people with the highest level were the generals, who were Lv3. The common foot soldiers were only Lv1. They were armed with swords and bows, but also brought catapults with them. Rakia also carried a few magic swords, the strongest of which were equivalent to modern grenades. Rakia had cavalry, but no air power. Currently, Rakia was about 30 km east of Orario, travelling to the city by foot.

Titania reported to the Guild that the Babelites would begin operations against Rakia. Moments later, the Survivors found themselves in the lush green Seolo Forest, the next location in Rakia's path. Further east, Scarlet was invisible and hovered over a large mass of soldiers who resembled the Roman legions. They marched in several rectangular formations with shield carriers in front and archers in the back. Further behind the formations were the catapults.

"Abel darling, they're about to reach the forest," said Scarlet.

"Okay, we're moving," said Abel.

Abel nodded to the other Survivors, who nodded back in acknowledgement and took positions by the road which ran through the forest. As soon as Rakia was just a few feet away from their trees, the Seal of Bel appeared underfoot. The Rakian legions were slowed to a crawl and weakened by the sigil's presence. "Retreat!" cried a general.

The legions trudged through the magic sigil, too debilitated to react with any sort of speed. Yog-Sothoth moved overhead and pelted the legions with dozens of orbs. Scores of solders got scattered everywhere by the shockwaves. Vidofnir and Mothman continued raining death from above with lightning strikes. Some of the soldiers started unleashing magic swords upon the aerial demons. Despite filling the air with explosions, they could not fell the demons.

Abel summoned a mass of vines from the ground. The reached out and coiled around scores of soldiers. Three of Yuzu's tornadoes roared through a formation of archers trying to return fire into the sky. All of them were dragged in screaming, and spun around. Hector descended upon a catapult and crushed it underfoot. He roared ferociously, then slammed the ground. A massive tremor radiated outward and knocked an entire formation onto their backs.

Morale plummeted and sheer terror spread through the legions of Rakia. They were not used to fighting creatures such as demons, especially ones as powerful as the companions of the Survivors. Rakia had broken formation and started to run for their lives. The Survivors did not bother to chase them, as the battle was theirs. An hour later, a group of Babelite troops flew into the area on the backs of demons to set up a lookout post.

The Survivors returned home, where news of Rakia's crushing defeat spread rapidly. The Loki Familia's leadership met in Loki's office to discuss this turn of events. "They only used four people?" asked Loki.

"...And twelve demons," corrected Riveria. "It was the same group that fought by our side during the demon invasion."

"Still, to demolish 30,000 soldiers with only 16, that's incredible!" said Gareth.

"Thank the gods they're friendly, at least for now. Even if all the Familia united to fight them, I'm not sure we'd stand a chance," said Finn.

"No, but let's enjoy their generosity while it lasts," said Gareth.

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The Hestia Familia gathered around Kaz in the dining room of the Hestia church. After Abel had spoken with Hecate, the goddess had given him a circular, silver object. This plate-like object depicted the faces of a trio of goblin-like creatures on one side. The other side was left blank, waiting for a god or goddess' blessing. With these faces, the plate resembled an oversized coin. The Hestia Familia wondered what the purpose of this object was.

Kaz took this chance to tell them about how he had spoken with Hecate as Abel. "You were trying to get her to form an alliance with us?" asked Lili.

"Yes," replied Kaz. "As part of her restitution, Hecate created this plate for us,"

"What does it do?" asked Lili.

"It allows the owner to form a contract with a demon. This one is for three Brownies, demons who will help with housework. Hecate thought that Hestia might need help with her new croquette business," replied Kaz. "Once Hestia applies her blessing to the back of the plate, it will seal the contract."

Hestia did as asked and a trio of demons who resembled imps suddenly appeared. "Hello Goddess Hestia, how may we help you?" asked the leading Brownie. He was a creature no larger than a girl's toy doll.

"Please sweep up around here," commanded Hestia.

"Of course," replied the Brownie.

Hestia watched as one Brownie telekinetically moved a broom to sweep the ground. The second operated a dustpan to collect what the first swept up. As they moved around the church, the third moved objects such as chairs to allow them space to operate. "Okay, maybe I might begin to forgive them, at least a little," said Hestia.

"I'm not too keen on this. They messed up Orario with that Paimon business," said Lili.

"Yeah, but we want to allow her a chance to make amends. Her demonic capabilities could become a deciding factor in the battles ahead. At the same time, we can keep an eye on her, and keep her from the funny stuff that caused the Paimon incident. We'll make sure she practices safe summoning," said Kaz.

"Okay," said Bell.

"Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer," said Hestia.

"Yeah," said Kaz. "We'll allow her to be involved, but if she starts to cause problems for us, we'll slap her down. Hecate intends to sell contract plates as a new business for her Familia. We got a freebie to resolve the animosity between our Familia."

Now that the gods had access to demons, it would help equalize the difference between Orario and the demons. They lost many Familia members to the invasion and this was a quick way of replenishing their ranks. Hecate would obviously keep the strongest demons for her own Familia. Despite that, even the weakest demons could be resurrected through the contract, yet still offered much needed support, especially with magic. Warriors tended to be much more common among adventurers than mages.

"So you're saying we could buy new Familia members?" asked Welf.

"That's exactly what he's saying," said Lili.

"Yeah, but the plates are quite pricey, especially for the stronger demons. We're lucky we got our Brownies for free. Even a big Familia like the Loki or Freya would deplete their bank accounts if they tried to employ more than a few of the stronger ones," said Kaz. "Don't worry about being replaced. That's not going to happen."

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The next day, Hestia, Bell, and Haruhime woke up to the sound of people outside their home. Already, numerous people had queued up outside her church. Although some were adventurers, many of the people were gods and goddesses. At the head of the line was the goddess Loki, head of one of the top Familia of Orario. "Hey Loli-Big-Boobs!" said Loki.

Hestia sighed. "What is it, Loki-No-Boobs?"

"My Familia just tested your croquettes on our last trip to the Dungeon. I have to say, I'm impressed. I want another three dozen for my Familia," said Loki.

"Me too, I want two dozen," said Demeter.

"Make another two dozen for me," said Hermes.

"I want a dozen!" said Take Mikazuchi.

The gods and adventurers started yelling out orders for magic croquettes. "Hold on! One at a time, one at a time!" cried Hestia. "I only have one stove, so I can't make that much at once. I will limit orders to no larger than three dozen."

"Goddess, I'll fire up the oven," said Haruhime.

Bit by bit, Hestia baked enough magic croquettes to fulfill all of the orders of the adventurers and gods. Even with the help of the Brownies, Bell, and Haruhime, it was tough work. At the end of the day, Hestia closed up shop and counted the earnings. She had taken in almost 120M Valis in just that one day of sales alone! She had already made up for paying backlogged taxes to the Guild and more. If she could continue this trend, she would be rich.

She starting getting money signs in her eyes. "Money, money, money!" said Hestia.

"This is great. We can finally start that renovation we've always wanted for our church," said Bell.

"Yeah," said Haruhime. "I can't wait to see what our home becomes."

"Okay, we're going to contact the contractor," said Hestia.

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More than a month earlier, before the demonic invasion, there lived a man named Abraham Paul. He was a man in his late sixties, a very old and gaunt man. Despite his advanced age, he was fortunate to still be able to walk on his own power. He left the Paul Bakery, his home and business in the Daedalus Street slums. This part of Orario was run down with many homes boarded up crudely by the city government. It had no rhyme or reason to its construction. The poor simply grabbed what homes they could find as shelter.

He walked down the street to the nearest grocery store, where he purchased a bag of flour from the vendor. He carried the bag all the way home and put it on a table. His wife, Martha, came out to check. She was a senior like her husband, a sweet gentle lady in her early sixties. Her once brown hair had greyed and she wore a simple apron, a white baker's uniform, and a hairnet. "Thanks Abe, we were really running low on flour," said Martha.

"Let's get our treats ready for the customers," said Paul.

Paul put on an apron and the couple started to bake delicious treats. The air in and around their bakery became filled with the sweet, fragrant scent of pastries. Business was surprisingly brisk that day. The customers had bought out the entire store's inventory. After the Pauls closed for the night, Paul and Martha quickly ran out to buy more flour, as well as fruit, sugar, and eggs. After putting their ingredients away, night had fallen on the city of Orario.

After putting on sleeping clothes, a violent earthquake rocked the city, radiating outward from the Smithy District. Its tremors could be felt all the way over in Daedalus Street. The sky turned red and several fissures to the outer planes opened above the city. A horde of demons started to land in the city, causing chaos and screams everywhere. One of the demons, a Decarabia, moved down the street outside the bakery.

Paul heard a scream outside, then looked out a window and saw the Decarabia set fire to a cart. "Martha, fetch my crossbow!" said Paul.

The Decarabia sprayed fire and ignited numerous buildings on Daedalus Street. Before it could get to his bakery, Paul fired a bolt right into its eye. The Decarabia was unharmed and started advancing on Paul. He fled around the corner, then another, losing the Decarabia in the alleys of Daedalus Street. When he returned home, he heard a scream come from the back kitchen and ran to see what was the commotion. He found his wife sprawled on the floor, bleeding from her stomach.

A demon resembling a manta ray, Forneus, had her blood smeared on its teeth. Forneus had broken through the backdoor and mauled his wife. Paul shot the demon with his crossbow, but the bolt deflected off its skin. Before the creature could strike, a golden light emerged from the opening in the back of the bakery. Its source was a golden-haired angel dressed in a white dress. She raised a hand and a pillar of light consumed Forneus, destroying it in a blinding, golden brilliance.

Paul uncovered his eyes. "Don't be afraid. I'm here to help," said the angel.

"Please save my wife. She has been wounded by the demon!" said Paul.

"I grant you a gift. Have faith in the Lord and use his gift to heal her," said the angel. She held out her hand and a white light filled Paul. He put his faith in the angel's mysterious Lord. His hand cast a white light upon Martha. The bleeding stopped, yet her clothes remained dirtied by the blood she had spilt from the wound.

Paul embraced his wife, glad to see that she would survive. "Thank you. I owe you a great debt," said Paul.

"If you wish to repay your debt, live a life free of sin," replied the angel.

"How do I do that?" asked Paul.

The angel created a set of books for Paul to read. They were a set of religious texts, though many told stories and fables about how the Lord interacted with and guided lost mortals. When Paul opened a book, he saw the tale of Jesus of Nazareth and his rise as a preacher and messiah. Born in Bethlehem in the land of Israel, he was a carpenter who began travelling to preach the values of the Lord. Jesus was eventually captured by the Romans who occupied Israel and crucified between a pair of thieves.

"Aren't you the Messiah? Save us!" demanded the thief crucified to the left of Jesus.

The second thief, to the right, felt only disgust from the first's demand. "Have you no fear of God?" asked the right thief. "We wound up here because we were stealing, but this man has done nothing wrong. Jesus, when you reach your kingdom, please don't forget me."

Jesus turned his head to face the penitent thief. "Aye, you will be in Paradise with me," said Jesus.

Paul closed the book. "Thank you angel. I will study these tales."

"You also have the ability to fight the demons. Use it well," said the angel, who hovered out of the door and flew away.

"Martha, there's something I must do," said Paul. "Many people are being threatened by the demons. I can't sit around while they're in trouble."

"Do what you must, but please come home safely," said Martha.

"I will," said Paul, who hugged his wife.

Paul travelled around Daedalus Street, looking for those who were wounded. He found a father engaged in battle with a Decarabia who had attacked his wife and children. Despite his efforts, the man had suffered numerous cuts and burns, bleeding from each of them. Paul fired a bolt into the Decarabia, killing it in one hit. He then examined the man and directed a stream of white light towards his wounds. The father's cuts started to seal, though the spilled blood remained on his body.

"Thank you, Abe," said the father. "Since when did you have healing magic?"

"An angel visited me and gave me this power," replied Paul.

"I see. I owe you and the angel my thanks," said the father.

 **END OF CHAPTER**


	13. Int 02 - Water City

Disclaimer:  
DanMachi was created by Fujino Omori. Shin Megami Tensei was created by Atlus. This story uses reference material from them.

 **Demons of the Dungeon  
By: RB3  
Integration 2: Water City**

The renovations on the Hestia Familia's church were finally finished. Although it still had part of the old façade, the new headquarters was more of a medieval meeting hall now, having been expanded to the right. Inside, all of the old, tattered furniture had been discarded in favour of fresh new oaken tables and chairs. A fireplace overlooked the dining room from the west of the entrance, opposite a door to the kitchen.

Opposite the front door were the stairs to the upper rooms. Lili's room, in particular, had windows and a workbench with a chimney compartment. This gave her an outlet to expel the stench from any Morbuls she concocted. The master bedroom was the largest and situated at the rear of the building on the second floor. It had two beds, one for Hestia as the presiding goddess, and the second for Bell, the first mortal member and captain of the Hestia Familia.

"Wow, this place is huge!" said Lili, looking at the Hestia Hall.

"So, you like it?" asked Bell.

"I think this place is beautiful," said Haruhime.

"Yeah, I'm impressed," said Welf. "It's too bad I can't live here. I still need to be near my forge."

"I doubt you'll want demons crawling around the HQ, so I'll keep renting my own home," said Kaz.

"So, what's next for us, now that we have our new home?" asked Haruhime.

"My friends and I discussed it and we want to start giving counter-demon seminars and workshops to the Familia of Orario," said Kaz. "We want to give training so adventurers are ready to oppose the demons more effectively."

"You mean like the one you gave us when you brought us to the base?" asked Bell.

"Yeah," replied Kaz. "You know, why not go further and hold a joint expedition for practice."

"Who will be our first guest of honour?" asked Welf.

"That's what I'd ask everyone here," replied Kaz. "Did you have any Familia in mind?"

"How about the Take Mikazuchi Familia?" asked Haruhime. "I'd love it if we could get something going with them."

"Okay, aren't they a very small Familia?" asked Kaz.

"Yeah, they only have six members," replied Haruhime.

"I think we can ask another Familia to join us as well," said Kaz. "Is there another you had in mind?"

"How about the Miach Familia?" asked Bell. "We buy potions from them all the time. They would love to reach a lower floor to gather herbs. I'll pitch it to them when I go to buy potions."

"I will ask the Take Mikazuchi Familia when I see them," said Haruhime.

"Okay, how about the Hecate Familia, as a way of normalizing relations between our Familia?" asked Kaz.

"Are you sure we can trust them?" asked Lili in return.

"I haven't forgotten what they did to my Familia!" said Hestia.

"I understand. That's why we'll take some precautions," replied Kaz. "We'll have people on standby, so if there's trouble, we're there to assist you. With friends like the Take Mikazuchi Familia around, they'll also be present to assist. I'll also provide communicators so you can get in touch with us."

"Okay, that's better," said Hestia. "Where will the expedition take place?"

"How about Water City?" asked Haruhime. "We're about to reach F25 ourselves, so we can go there as an expedition. We could fight Amphisbaena, the Floor Boss of F27 to get people levels."

"That will be pretty tough with all that water around," said Lili.

"I could use magic to lock him out of the water so we can tackle him on dry land," said Kaz.

"Okay, we'll give it a shot," said Welf.

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Later in the day, Bell took a trip to the Blue Pharmacy, the home and business of the Miach Familia. Inside, it was like any pharmacy with shelves stocked with pills and potions for a variety of ailments. The cashier at the store was a familiar chienthrope brunette known as Naaza Erisuis. She was the sole member of the Miach Familia, which had fallen into hard times. The god Miach, a blue-haired man in robes, was restocking the shelves at the side.

"Hello Bell," said Naaza.

"Hi Naaza," said Bell. "I'd like to get ten potions."

"Sure, my god is restocking them at this moment," said Naaza.

Bell went to Miach and acquired the potions from him. He then brought the two together to talk to them about the Babelite seminar. "So, after the training, we're going on an expedition into the Dungeon. We were thinking of taking your Familia along so you can gather herbs," said Bell.

"That's a great idea, but Naaza isn't too keen on fighting monsters," said Miach.

Bell looked over at Naaza and saw a girl who was shivering with fear. "Okay..." said Bell.

"Even if she can't go, I'm still interested in any herbs you can find," said Miach.

"So, a quest for us, that's alright," said Bell. "We're still talking with Take Mikazuchi and Hecate, so there's still time to change your mind."

"I'll see if I can coax Naaza to change her mind," said Miach.

In the mean time, Haruhime met with members of the Take Mikazuchi Familia at a local cafe. They sat outdoors, sipped tea, and ate small cakes beneath the shade of an umbrella. Haruhime told her friends about the proposed demon training seminar and expedition to follow. "I noticed how strong you became after being trained by the Babelites. If we got the same training, could my Familia become as strong?" asked Take Mikazuchi.

"I'd like to get some of this training myself," said Ouka.

"Me too," said Mikoto.

"That training is more useful for fighting demons than Dungeon monsters. Our croquettes are what really helped us get stronger," corrected Haruhime. "One thing I must tell you is that our... sponsors want to invite the Hecate Familia as well as Miach's. I'm sure all of us know what happened between us, so they're going to have people on standby in case the Hecate Familia tries anything. We're also getting communication devices to call them if needed."

"The Miach Familia is okay. We sometimes get our potions from them," said Ouka.

"They'll want the herbs we find, so we're going to reserve those things for them," said Haruhime. "Welf will want the ore."

"While I see the risks with the Hecate Familia, I think they're manageable with the precautions you proposed," said Ouka.

"What about those magic croquettes?" asked Mikoto. "Will you supply some to us before we go on the expedition?"

"What about a special artefact? Can you get Welf to make us one?" asked Take Mikazuchi. "Many of the gods are dying to get one after they heard Welf made one for Hestia."

"I'll have to ask, but I'll try to get him to agree," said Haruhime. "You'll need to meet with Welf and go over the details with him."

"Okay, we'll keep in touch. Thank you for this offer," said Take. "We really appreciate it."

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The four chosen Familia travelled to the Babelite's portal station outside of Orario. As they approached a toll booth, Hestia presented a card to the soldier manning the location. He waved the group through to the portal in the abandoned mine. They found themselves in the Babelite base in the Expanse and were in awe of the strangeness of the sprawling redness and the stars. The entered the ziggurat, into a room in its basement. As they passed through the doorway, space distorted.

They found themselves within the bleachers of a small colosseum like an iceless hockey rink. In the front row, behind clear protective screens were throne-like seats for the VIPs. The gods and goddesses of the Familia claimed the thrones as heads of their Familia. The mortal members of their Familia sat behind them, in the bleachers. Hecate, with her Familia laid low by the demonic invasion, could only send Medea to the event.

At the head of the arena were the Survivors and their demon allies. The front throne was occupied by Abel, who watched and waited as everyone took their places. "Welcome everyone, to this arena. I am Abel, and I will be your master of ceremonies. As we know, demons have been plaguing the city of Orario for months now. In order to combat them, we've decided to hold a series of events in which Familia can come train against demons. Your Familia are the first to attend these events, so thank you for coming."

The assembled Familia clapped. Abel began with a lesson on demonic resistances. A demon could be weak to a certain type of attack or even able to reflect that attack back upon its sender. As demons grew in power, they had stronger resistances, as well as more of them. By limiting their foes' offensive options, demons made themselves very difficult to defeat. Without a comp for scanning, it was possible to guess what a demon's resistances were by observing its appearance and the types of attacks it generally used.

Being observant was vital against the strongest of demons. "So, having heard this lecture, let's get some hands-on training. Are there any volunteers from our guests who'd like to face a demon?" asked Abel. "I'll need three."

"I'll go," said Ouka.

"Me too," said Mikoto.

"Me three," said Chigusa.

The three made their way to the centre, where they found racks of wooden weapons. They immediately armed themselves with the weapons. Girimehkala emerged from a lobby in the back, carrying a wooden scimitar. Welf started to chuckle. "Remember when you fought that elephant?" asked Welf.

"Oh yeah," replied Bell, starting to chuckle.

The gods below noticed the two of them. "What are they laughing about?" asked Take Mikazuchi.

"Beats me," replied Miach.

"If you physically attack me, something GOOD will happen!" said Girimehkala slyly.

"Begin!" said Abel.

Mikoto used a bow to fire several arrows at Girimehkala. As soon as they flew close, they rebounded off of a previously invisible golden barrier. The arrows came back and pelted Mikoto, knocking her to one knee. Ouka leapt in to chop the elephant, only to be repelled by that same barrier and knocked to the ground. Girimehkala stomped the ground, creating a tremor which caused Chigusa to lose footing and fall. Though roughed up and covered in dirt, the three were largely unharmed.

Ouka arose from the ground. "Our attacks aren't working!" said Ouka.

Girimehkala stomped the ground, shaking everything in the arena. Chigusa noticed that the tremor had bounced a grenade out of a crate behind Girimehkala. "Cover me!" said Chigusa.

Ouka charged at Girimehkala head-on. The elephant man whipped his trunk at Ouka, who stopped to parry the strike. Girimehkala stomped the ground to produce another tremor. Ouka stumbled and fell, but Mikoto had finished casting the Futsu no Mitama spell. A cage of violet light had trapped the elephant man, collapsing on itself and squeezing him. Girimehkala forced his way out, shattering the cage in the process.

At that moment, Chigusa had hurled the grenade near Girimehkala. The explosion took him aback and staggered him momentarily. A buzzer sounded. "Good work everybody!" said Abel.

After more training over the next week, the group adjourned to rest and recover. The Hestia Familia provided towels and water for the Familia after training so hard. "That was pretty intense," remarked Ouka, wiping sweat from his brow.

"Yeah, and that was just sparring," said Mikoto.

Abel teleported down to the floor to see his guests. "So, how are you guys holding up?" asked Abel.

"I never knew demons could reflect our attacks like that. We'll have to be more careful the next time we face one," replied Mikoto.

"Of course, I don't want to see anyone die because of avoidable mistakes," said Abel.

Welf fetched some items he had stored in the ziggurat. "Here are the Familia artefacts," he announced.

The first item Welf held was a mythril mortar and pestle combination, the Mortar and Pestle of Miach. The mortar's underside held the mark of the Miach Familia, which resembled a flowering bulb. This item allowed magic stones to be mixed into a formula as an additional ingredient. When the resulting paste was mixed with water, it made stronger potions with sharply reduced negative side effects. Only the Miach Familia could use the mortar and pestle to make potions in this manner.

"When I return home, I'm going to test it out," said Miach.

"Enjoy!" said Welf.

The second item Welf had prepared looked much like a toy boat with feathered wings and a bird's head for a bow. It was known as Ame no Torifune. It could miniaturize people and things, then draw them into it with a simple mental command. It was meant to be a transport vessel, used to get the Familia into areas quickly such as in the Dungeon. It required someone to stoke its furnace with magic stones. It could only be operated by Take Mikazuchi Familia members.

Take Mikazuchi examined the toy and saw his Familia's sword-like emblem on the deck. "Let me try it out," he said. "How do I get inside?"

"Tell the boat to take you want to be on deck with your thoughts," said Abel. "Uh, let me hold onto it for now. Use these magic stones to feed the furnace."

Once Take Mikazuchi did as asked, he found himself on the deck of Ame no Torifune. Everyone else were like giants to him, but it was he who had shrunk, not the others growing larger. He went below deck and saw a single furnace dominate the back of the hold. He put the stones into the furnace, which suddenly powered up the ship. Ame no Torifune floated out of Abel's hands and in front of the gathered group. In particular, the Take Mikazuchi Familia was in awe of the Ame no Torifune.

"I want in. Let me see what it's like in there," said Ouka.

Ouka told the Ame no Torifune to take him in, and found himself on the deck. Take Mikazuchi was at the helm, steering the ship. The other Familia members entered the ship and explored it. They took a joyride in the ship, flying around the colosseum and explored the hard to reach upper corners. When they had their fill, they descended and disembarked. "That was fun!" said Chigusa.

"Yeah, this thing will take a load off of our supporters. If we get into trouble, we can make a quick getaway to recover and restock," said Ouka.

"Thank you for creating this item for us. We really appreciate it," said Take Mikazuchi.

"Yes, thank you Lord Abel and you too, Welf," said Ouka.

"Yeah, no problem," said Welf.

"Just make sure you keep the Ame no Torifune powered. If not, it will fall out of the sky," warned Abel.

"Of course, we'll treat your gift with the utmost respect," said Ouka.

The third and last item was the Threefold Statue of Hecate. It was a simple statue of mythril depicting a pregnant maternal woman in the centre, a young woman to her right, and an elderly woman to her left. Hecate's symbol was on the pregnant woman's belly. The pregnant woman also carried torches with slots for setting magic stones to power the statue. With the stones in place, the torches looked like they were lit.

While powered, this statue enabled Hecate Familia members to build their magic rating at a rapid pace, to as high as an SS-rank. This statue could also act as a recharging rack for spent grimoires. Using a spent grimoire in this way converted it into a special kind called a Hecate Grimoire. These grimoires did not count towards the three spell per person limit, but only worked once per person. The statue had enough room to charge up to two spent grimoires this way, represented by the open hand of the young and old woman.

"This item will help my Familia rebuild. Despite our past grievances, you've showed me kindness," said Hecate. "Thank you, Lord Abel."

"Yes, please stay on the right path," said Abel.

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The four Familia met Yuzu in the safe area of F18. "My friends have gone on ahead. They'll meet you further into the Dungeon," said Yuzu.

"Alright everyone, let's get that Dungeon!" said Bell.

"YEAH!" cheered the gathered group.

The group arranged into a formation decided upon by Lili. In the front were Welf, Mikoto, and Ouka. In the middle were Bell, Kaz, Chigusa, and Ryoma the archer. The rear consisted of Lili, Haruhime, Asuka, Shinji, Naaza, and Medea. Medea raised two grey Spartoi. Both were armed with swords and carried shields bearing the emblem of Hecate. She had them join the front line. Kaz summoned a Lilim and made her join the middle line. Haruhime created a pair of illusionary Firebirds which joined the rear line.

"You can summon demons and monsters?" asked Chigusa, looking at these creatures joining their side.

"Yes," replied Kaz.

"I can only animate Spartoi," replied Medea.

Just before heading out, Haruhime used Kokonoe to bank nine uses of Uchide no Kozuchi. She used some of the charges to enhance Welf and Lili. She then applied the rest of the charges to empower Naaza and everyone in the Take Mikazuchi Familia. "What was that spell you cast on us?" asked Ouka.

"It makes you stronger," replied Haruhime.

The combined expedition descended to F19, the first floor of the Great Tree Labyrinth. It was a place of wooden walls and corridors, resembling the interior of a gigantic tree. It made adventurers inside look like mere ants. This stratum had the largest number of plants and trees growing in the Dungeon outside of the safe zones. Due to this, it was a prime area for gathering materials like herbs for creating products back in Orario.

The group engaged in their first battle against a dozen Bugbears who popped out of the wooden walls of a circular chamber. Mikoto, Ouka, Bell, and Welf quickly ran up to engage the nearest ones. With a mighty chop, Ouka's axe cleaved one of them in half. Bell met another who tried to flank and sliced through it with a single stroke. Welf swung in a wide arc, taking the head of a third. Mikoto evaded a paw swipe, then moved in to stab through the vulnerable ribs.

Ryoma and Lili rained projectiles upon the rear of the Bugbear ranks. Their arrows pierced through the heads of three Bugbears and felled them. Kaz conjured an ice patch beneath the feet of the last five Bugbears. They tried to escape the patch, but four of them slipped and fell to the ground. Kaz then shot the fifth in the head, killing it. Haruhime's illusionary Firebirds pelted the rest with blasts of flame, leaving them as ash on the ground.

All that remained were magic stones, which were gathered by the supporters of the group. "So good so far," said Ouka. "Let's keep up the pace."

The combined expedition reached F19 without any further incident. As they travelled through F19, Bell heard what sounded like a girl crying. He went to search for the source and found what appeared to be a vouivre, but with her bottom half being human legs rather than a snake tail. She looked more like a naked and afraid teenaged girl with blue skin than a true monster. "A vouivre?" asked Bell. "She looks different."

"A monster?" asked Mikoto.

"She's in trouble. I need a potion. She hurt her ankle really badly," said Bell, noticing the bruise on the vouivre's ankle.

"You're going to save a monster?" asked Ouka. "That's such a stupid idea!"

"I don't think she'll harm us," said Bell, who got a potion from Lili and sprayed it onto the vouivre's ankle. "There, you should be fine now."

"Thank you mister," said the vouivre.

"She can talk!" remarked Welf.

"Now, this is unusual. I've talked to demons, but I've never heard of a monster that can do the same," said Medea.

"I'm sure Lord Abel would be interested in examining her," said Kaz.

"Well, she can't stay here. We need to take her somewhere safer," said Bell.

"Take her to the Babelite base. They have the resources to take care of the girl," said Kaz.

"Hold on, you can't be serious!" said Lili. "You're going to take a monster back to their base?"

"We can't just leave her out here. If the monsters don't get her, some adventurer will," replied Bell.

"I agree with Bell," said Kaz. "Plus, this is highly unusual. We, er, the Babelites, would want to study her."

"I don't think this is a good idea," said Ouka.

"Me either," said Lili.

"Just leave her with Abel's people. I'm sure they can handle one monster," said Welf.

"Yeah, you saved me when I needed help. Please do the same for her," said Haruhime.

"Lili and I have voiced our reservations, but we'll still help the girl," said Ouka. "We'll use Ame no Torifune to speed back to camp. Shinji, pull it out."

"Aye sir," replied Shinji.

The Take Mikazuchi Familia boarded the boat and pulled the rest of the expedition and the vouivre girl inside. The boat flew through the corridors of the Great Tree Labyrinth rapidly. Once in the base, Bell showed them the vouivre girl they had rescued on F19. Atsuro looked over her and noted the obvious differences she had with a regular vouivre. He also radioed the other members of his team to report the incident.

"Thank you for bringing her here," said Atsuro.

"Yes, we will send our diplomat to talk to the Guild. In the meantime, we'll take care of her for you," said Abel over Atsuro's comp. "Continue your expedition without worry."

"Okay, thank you Lord Abel," said Bell.

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The combined expedition returned to F19 via Ame no Torifune. "This thing is really convenient," said Ouka. "I can't tell you how grateful I am for you making it."

"Yeah, I'm glad that you enjoy my work," said Welf. "It feels good to be appreciated."

They continued onward until they entered the next stratum, the Water City. Its first floor was F25, and represented the top of a great waterfall. The water fell past F26 and pooled into a basin on F27. It had a connection to Lake Lolog in the southwest of Orario. This stratum had moist air from the water being turned to vapour and mixing with the normal air. It was an area known for being frequented by aquatic and crystalline monsters.

As soon as they descended the stairs, they found Midori engaged in battle with a group of Harpies. She incinerated each of them, one after the other, until none survived. She summoned a demon who resembled the Puss in Boots to gather the magic stones. He was a demon known as a Cait Sith. Midori turned to the group. "Oh, hi guys!" she chirped.

"Hi Midori!" said Bell.

"I'm glad you made it here in one piece. Let me heal you up," said Midori, who cast a Dia spell upon each member of the expedition.

"Thank you," said Ouka, as the white light refreshed him.

"Good luck," said Midori, who remained behind as the group ventured forward.

They entered a chamber with flowing water which pooled into a pond. In the room was what appeared to be a set of rocky mounds with crystals jutting from them. "Never trust crystals here. Make sure to hit them from a distance just to make sure," said Lili.

She grabbed a pebble and lobbed it at one of the mounds. Suddenly, it stirred and revealed itself as a turtle monster with crystals growing from its shell! All of the mounds were Crystal Turtles trying to disguise themselves in order to lure in unsuspecting adventurers. The turtles rushed at the group and met its front lines. Bell evaded the monster's beak and slashed its head. The turtle screeched in agony and retreated into its shell. Bell incinerated the monster with a Firebolt.

As Ouka and Mikoto cut down the other two, some urchin-like creatures leapt out of the water. The middle ranks dove out of the way of the Crystaroth Urchins as they propelled themselves into a wall. Chigusa hurled a dagger at one, impaling it cleanly. The monster fell and crumbled on the ground, leaving behind a magic stone. Kaz got off the ground and fired an ice beam at another, freezing it solid. Ryoma impaled a third urchin to the wall with an arrow. With a second arrow, he had killed it.

Ouka looked at the stirring water and saw a dozen monsters which resembled quartz crystals. "More incoming! Light Quartz!" cried Ouka.

They started firing beams into the middle ranks, but Welf held out his sword to parry the beams for the team. Lili returned fire, impaling three with arrows. They were only staggered and continued to advance. Bell sent a Firebolt at one, blowing it to pieces. Another fired back at Ryoma, who dove to the ground to avoid being hit. Kaz shot down that attacker with an ice beam, then froze the water to trap the other monsters beneath the surface. They tried shooting the ice, but were unable to punch through.

"Good thinking," said Lili.

After the ones outside were dispatched by the expedition, Kaz unsealed the pond. The quartz monsters stormed the room with light beams blazing. Welf immediately raised his sword to parry and dissipate the magic. As he ran in, he snuffed another beam, then made a bisecting swing on the Light Quartz. Haruhime stunned one by hitting it with a dark bolt. Her Firebirds immediately swooped in blasted it with flame. After dispatching the last Light Quartz, they gathered all drops and continued.

Eventually, the group reached F27, the basin of the Great Falls. The water extended into a cave which led behind the waterfall, into a massive chamber of quartz. "That's where Amphisbaena spawns," said Lili.

"The Floor Boss?" asked Shinji.

"Yes," replied Lili. "Wanna try to take him down, if he's up?"

"Sure," replied Ouka. "We might get some of our people levels for doing so."

"Okay, we're going in," said Bell. "Regardless, this is where we end the expedition. We're not going deeper than this."

The expedition moved into the massive chamber and the water began to stir. A large creature with a long neck and the head of a dragon emerged from the water. It had the body and legs of a chicken and fins for wings. Its tail was the head and neck of a second dragon. This creature was the Amphisbaena, the Floor Boss of the Water City. It sprayed a violet poison upon the expedition, who scattered to avoid it. The poison pooled in the cracks on the ground.

Kaz lashed Amphisbaena with tendrils of violet energy. As soon as he received its stolen energy, he immediately passed it on to the front line fighters to help them recover. Haru, Medea, and the archers pelted the water monster with arrows and magic, but did little harm. The front line fighters started to converge on it, but Amphisbaena retreated into the water. "Come back and fight!" cried Ouka.

"You're not getting away," said Kaz.

He started moving the water, trying to push and squeeze Amphisbaena onto the surface. The weight of the creature was great due to its large size. Kaz had to strain to get Amphisbaena out of its hiding spot. When it realized that Kaz was the one trying to drag him out, it targeted him with a stream of poison. Kaz was forced to evade it, releasing his hold on it. The fighters prepared to pounce on it, but Amphisbaena fled back into the water.

"This getting us nowhere," said Ouka. "Protect Kaz until he can get the Floor Boss out!"

"Aye!" said the rest of the team.

The fighters retreated and when Amphisbaena sensed that, it resurfaced. Medea, Haruhime, Lili, and Ryoma unloaded dark blasts and arrows at it. Amphisbaena got staggered, but suffered very little harm. Seeing it distracted, Kaz compressed the water to squeeze the Floor Boss out of it. This time, the expedition continued to pelt its head to keep it distracted and off-balance. Bell joined in with a stream of Firebolts, causing it to become dazed.

"One Floor Boss coming up!" cried Kaz.

Amphisbaena popped out of the water, which Kaz quickly froze over to prevent it from returning. The ranged members stopped firing to allow their melee members to close in and engage. Medea sicced the Spartoi upon Amphisbaena, making them charge in for a head-on attack. Amphisbaena spotted the Spartoi and breathed poison upon them. Being just skeletons, the Spartoi were unharmed and charged through, swinging for the base of its neck, but unable to cause lasting harm.

Ouka and the other melee members pounced onto Amphisbaena's back and began hacking it repeatedly. Amphisbaena roared in agony. Its rear head tried to snap at them, but they quickly jumped off to escape it. Instead, Bell leapt onto that head, and stabbed into its skull. His blade struck the vital brain and jumped off before the head fell dead. Amphisbaena turned around and started spraying at the melee members. They scattered to avoid being poisoned.

The other members started firing at its body, staggering it to allow their friends time to escape. Amphisbaena locked onto Lili and sprayed at her. She quickly dove away. At the same time, Ouka leapt onto its back. Amphisbaena thrashed around in an attempt to throw him off. He struggled to hold on, using his hands to grip feathers, unable to draw his weapon to finish the creature. Welf watched and waited, then went in and slashed its leg.

Amphisbaena suddenly jerked towards Welf, knocking him to the ground. The pain stung Amphisbaena, staggering it momentarily. With a single mighty chop, Ouka beheaded it with his axe. The Amphisbaena suddenly rolled over and died, throwing Ouka off. A moment later, Ouka picked himself off the ground. At around the same time, Welf started to get up. Amphisbaena crumbled and left behind its large magic stone.

The entire team breathed a sigh of relief and joy. "Yes!" said Lili.

Abel emerged from the passage which led to the next floor. He, Scarlet, and Mao started to heal the expedition and remove any traces of poison. "Great work everyone! That was a great battle," said Abel.

 **END OF CHAPTER**


	14. Int 03 - Xenos Exodus

Disclaimer:  
DanMachi was created by Fujino Omori. Shin Megami Tensei was created by Atlus. This story uses reference material from them.

 **Demons of the Dungeon  
By: RB3  
Integration 3: Xenos Exodus**

The expedition returned to the Babelite arena, just as the gods of the Familia had arrived to see the return of their followers. The Survivors took a picture of the entire group to commemorate this event. After the Familia went their separate ways, Hestia performed updates on her Familia's Falna in the dressing room. The first up was Bell Cranel. "Okay Bell, let's see how you've grown," said Hestia.

 **Bell Cranel**  
Lv 4

Str: D  
Vit: D  
Dex: D  
Agi: C  
Mgc: F

 **Skills**  
Realis Phrase  
Argonaut  
Giant Slayer

 **Magic**  
Firebolt

 **Dev Abilities**  
Luck G  
Status Resist G  
Escape I

"Almost there, Bell," said Hestia. "Build yourself up before you try for a new level."

Bell took the parchment from Hestia and read it. "Okay, thank you goddess," said Bell.

The next to come in was Kaz. "We just beat Amphisbaena before we came back," said Kaz, removing his shirt and lying on a bench. "I want to see if that got me a promotion."

"Let's take a look," said Hestia, mounting his back.

 **Kazuya Minegishi**  
Lv 3 - 4

Str: F - I  
Vit: S - I  
Dex: SS - I  
Agi: S - I  
Mgc: SSSS - I

 **Skills**  
Mystical Attunement  
Water / Ice Absorb  
Energetic Reservoir  
Dragon Slayer

 **Magic**  
Water Sculptor  
Drain  
Ars Goetia  
Succubus Kiss (temporarily give target Lv -1 to a minimum of 1, cooldown)

 **Dev Abilities**  
Status Resist G  
Mage F  
Magic Resist I (reduce magic damage taken)

Kaz had learned the Succubus Kiss spell, the opposite of Haruhime's Uchide no Kozuchi. As Abel, one of his demons was a succubus named Scarlet, who was also one of his lovers. His new spell was a reflection of their mutual affection, as well as his fighting style, which involved the debilitation of foes. It and Haruhime's spell were effectively opposites. "This was a great level for you Kaz," said Hestia, who gave Kaz a parchment of his Falna.

"Magic Resist and Succubus Kiss? Ah, it's like the Debilitate spell," said Kaz.

"This is a pretty scary ability. I think you should be careful about letting people know you have it, and more than three magic spells," replied Hestia.

"Okay, I understand," said Kaz. He put on his shirt. "Three spells is the limit, isn't it?"

"Yeah, most adventurers only get three spells at most. You've got four and I don't think that's the end of it," said Hestia. "It must be because of your true self."

"Ah! Thank you, Hestia. I'll let the next person in," said Kaz, who left and called Lili in.

 **Liliruca Arde**  
Lv 2 - 3

Str: H - I  
Vit: G - I  
Dex: S - I  
Agi: D - I  
Mgc: C - I

 **Skills**  
Alter Assist  
Monster Drop +  
Dexterity Seed  
Agility Seed

 **Magic**  
Cinderella +

 **Dev Abilities**  
Status Resist H  
Shooter I (+stats when using a projectile weapon, eg. crossbow)  
Mixing I (improves products of mixing herbs & chemicals)

With Lili's new level came new dev abilities. Though primarily a supporter, Lili used an arm-mounted crossbow as a weapon. Though weak, it could still be lethal if fired into a critical part of a monster's anatomy. Since she lacked the strength for close-quarters combat, or the magic to be a full mage, archery was her only option. Thus, she focused on her precision and gained the Shooter ability to enhance it further.

Also, Lili was the one who created various tools for the Familia, especially Morbuls to ward away monsters. She gained the Mixing ability to further enhance that aspect. This also opened the way for Lili to formulate actual potions to increase the self-sufficiency of the Familia. "You just levelled up Lili, congratulations," said Hestia, giving her Familia's supporter a parchment to read. "It's a good thing we built that lab area built for you. Please take full advantage of it."

"Thank you goddess," said Lili. She put on her shirt and left, allowing Welf to enter for his update.

 **Welf Crozzo**  
Lv 3 - 4

Str: A - I  
Vit: A - I  
Dex: B - I  
Agi: B - I  
Mgc: D - I

 **Skills**  
Crozzo Blood  
Spell Grounding  
Strength Seed  
Heart Container

 **Magic**  
Will O'Wisp - Will O'Wisp + (shoot fiery sparks which trigger Ignis Fatuus, no-chant, cooldown)

 **Dev Abilities**  
Blacksmithing E  
Mystery G  
Two-Handed H  
Magic Resist I (reduce magic damage taken)

Even now, Welf still despised magic swords. He deemed them too destructive and degenerative of a person's abilities. Despite his misgivings, Welf did take Hephaestus' words to heart, and decided to only make them under extreme duress. He still wanted to prove he did not need this power to succeed. This drive pushed his development towards ways of nullifying or countering magic swords and magic by extension, leading to his improvement of Will O'Wisp and the acquisition of Magic Resist.

Hestia presented Welf with his Falna to peruse. "Those enemy mages must be quaking in their boots when they see you now!" said Hestia.

Welf chuckled as he put his shirt back on. "I'd rather people with magic swords run away, screaming like little girls," said Welf. He left and Haruhime came in for her update.

 **Haruhime Sanjouno**  
Lv 2 - 3

Str: G - I  
Vit: G - I  
Dex: C - I  
Agi: C - I  
Mgc: S - I

 **Skill**  
Vitality Seed  
Magic Seed

 **Magic**  
Uchide no Kozuchi  
Uga no Mitama  
Kokonoe  
Foxfire (create illusory blue fire, only burns living foes, consumes normal fire)

 **Dev Abilities**  
Mage G  
Status Resist H

Haruhime always wanted to be useful, and she got her wish with the versatile Foxfire spell, a reflection of her Renard heritage. Foxfire's usefulness extended beyond blasting monsters. It could also enchant allies with fire on contact, enhancing their attacks. Being illusory, it could not burn inanimate objects, nor could it be stopped the way a normal flame could. It consumed all flames it encountered, spreading itself further.

"You can use more than three spells too," remarked Hestia.

Haruhime took the parchment from Hestia and read it. "Too? Is there someone else who has more than three spells?" asked Haruhime.

"Kaz," replied Hestia. "I'm not sure how you learned more than three, but I guess you're special in that way. Please don't tell anyone about this."

"I won't," said Haruhime. "So, my new spell is Foxfire?"

"Yep," replied Hestia. "It's very flexible. You can use it to attack or to help your friends."

"Awesome! I'll try it when we get into the Dungeon again," said Haruhime.

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After the requisite update, the Hestia Familia met with the Survivors. A Babelite nurse examined the talking vouivre girl the Hestia Familia had rescued from the Dungeon. The nurse was a woman with long, dark blue hair who wore a white coat over business casual clothing. She wore a brass nametag which identified her as Mari Mochizuki. Mari had the vouivre girl open her mouth and looked into it with a tongue depressor.

"So, how is she right now?" asked Hestia.

"She's healthy as far as I can tell," said Mari. "There's Nothing physically wrong with her, but I'm not an expert in monster physiology."

"I sent Titania to ask Ouranos about this. It seems he's familiar with these kind of monsters," said Abel.

The vouivre girl was a special kind of monster known as a "Xenos." They had intelligence, at least far more than the standard monster, and could communicate with the mortal races. They were rare among monsters and were beset on two fronts, by normal monsters on one and by adventurers on the other. Ouranos did not know when they first appeared, but took steps to protect them. He hoped that in the future, it would be possible to have cordial relations with the Xenos, much as the mortal races could cooperate now.

"So, he knew about this the whole time?" asked Hestia.

"Yeah," replied Abel. "Ouranos was quite pleased that we were willing to help our guest, especially you, Bell."

"Me?" asked Bell.

"Yeah, you called for her to be saved," replied Abel. "Ouranos believes that you and the Hestia Familia could be at the forefront in building good relations with the Xenos."

"Who else knows about the Xenos?" asked Hestia.

"Hermes does, and so does Ganesha," replied Abel.

"Ganesha?" asked Lili. "Monsterphilia! So that event is to get people used to being around monsters?"

"All part of Ouranos' plan," replied Abel. "He is getting the general public ready for first contact. We've agreed to support Ouranos in this regard as well."

"I'm willing to help," said Bell.

"Even so, helping monsters? This would take some getting used to," remarked Welf.

"Not that hard for us. We deal with demons all the time," said Midori.

"Still, there is a matter Ouranos wants us to resolve," said Abel. "There is a Xenos village in a hidden area of F20. Both monsters and adventurers are starting to get too close to the village for comfort. It's only a matter of time before someone finds it. Ouranos wants us to move them to a safer location."

"Have you found a suitable destination?" asked Hestia.

"Not yet," replied Atsuro. "We've narrowed down a list of places we can hide the Xenos. We were about to go out and evaluate them further."

"We picked villages or towns in the Scenarios of the Planes. The stores spawn gear they can use to fight off other monsters," said Yuzu.

"Aren't the monsters there kinda hard for them to fight?" asked Lili.

"Not necessarily," replied Abel. "Some of the areas have really weak monsters, as low as Lv1."

"We need to give her a name," said Bell. "I was thinking of calling her 'Welusine' after Melusine, the water spirit from the stories."

"That name is a bit long," said Hestia. "Let's just call her 'Wiene.'"

"I like that name," said the vouivre girl. "So I'm Wiene."

"Good," said Abel. "Now that that's settled, spend some time with her, and get acquainted. We're heading out."

"Good luck," said Bell.

Abel and the rest of the Survivors left the room. "Okay Wiene, you're clear to go," said Mari. "You should get some clothes on before you go wandering around the base."

"Thank you Nurse Mari," said Wiene. "Is there anything I can wear around here?"

"I know something. Hold on I'll get it," said Bell, leaving to find it. He returned in a bit later with a salamander cloak, which he threw onto Wiene. "There you go, how does it feel?"

"It's great! Thanks," said Wiene. She hugged Bell for that wonderful gift.

"HEY!" cried Hestia. "Don't get so touchy-feely with my Bell!"

Wiene had suddenly turned to confront Hestia, but accidentally raked Bell's arm with her claws. "GAAH!" gasped Bell.

"You cut him!" said Lili. "Be careful!"

"Sorry! Sorry!" said Wiene.

Mari applied a healing spell upon Bell's cuts, healing them instantly in a flash of white light. "There you go. All better," said Mari.

"Thanks Mari," said Bell.

"You know, why don't we take a bath, just the four of us girls?" asked Haruhime.

"Sure," said Hestia.

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The Survivors had descended to F68, the Last Reverie, the final floor of the Scenarios of the Planes stratum. They flew south to their first destination and found a village built within the clearings of a forest. Judging from the graceful, flowing style of the architecture, elves once lived in the village. A river crossed southward through this settlement, then turned east and west at the centre, dividing the village into three sections. There was a dock to the south of the village and a second one north past the forest.

"How would this place work?" asked Yuzu.

"It might work, but I think that it's a bit too accessible by the ocean," said Abel. "We'll take what we can from the shops for the Hestia Familia."

Yuzu had acquired stat seeds from the item shop, as well as some low tier potions. Atsuro looked at the magic shops in the northwest section and found nothing. Abel and Midori searched the weapon and armour shops, but found only basic steel weapons. They gathered the loot and flew to the next location, which was far to the northeast. It was known as Terra Valley, according to the sign above the entry arch.

Terra Valley sat within a valley in a peninsula. The only way to enter was by air, as the surrounding mountains were impassable. Terra Valley was even smaller than the Elf Village and was heavily forested in its north. A single spring dominated this portion of town. Most of the buildings had been constructed in a row along the south of the forest. "This is a good place. It's nice and defensible, far away enough that adventurers won't be setting foot here," said Abel.

"This place is kind of cold," said Yuzu, starting to shiver. "It would be very uncomfortable to live here."

"Yeah, let's check another place. Just grab the items and move on," said Abel.

After looting the town, they managed to find a grimoire in a white magic shop and some camping gear in the item shop. With no other candidates on F68 the Survivors returned to F65, the Dragon's Den. Their first candidate here was the city of Fort Golem to the south of Sunstone City. It had a long wall built around its perimeter which protected it from monsters outside. As soon as they entered town, they were greeted by the statue of a golem standing in the front park as though it was a guard.

Fort Golem had roads paved with bricks and numerous weapon and armour shops, good for arming the Xenos should they face invasion. After looting the shops, they found mostly common steel weapons, but one weapon that stood out was a greatsword with a wide guard. It seemed to radiate a faint sense of magic. When scanned, their comps determined that this weapon had a defensive enchantment. It made it easier for the wielder to parry blows and also enhanced defence.

"Welf might like a weapon like this," remarked Yuzu. "Let's show it to him."

"How about this place?" asked Midori. "With those walls, its easy to defend the city."

"We might have a winner here," replied Abel. "Let's look at the local monsters."

The Survivors explored the local area and found a group of elite fomoire, which resembled more aggressive, muscular versions of Baphomet. When scanned, the comp determined they were equivalent to a Lv6 adventurer, fairly high in terms of the Falna. These fomoire were stronger than the ones found in F49 of the Dungeon. This area was far too dangerous with such powerful monsters lurking about. The Xenos needed a lower level area, so it was easy to stay on top of the local monsters.

The six fomoire rushed at them, but Abel put a Seal of Bel behind them. Its mere presence caused a sense of weakness to overtake them, slowing them down. Atsuro blasted two of them away with an energy beam each. Yuzu killed two more by hurling wind blades which sliced them in half. Midori blasted the last two with a pillar of flame. When all that remained were magic stones, Yuzu telekinetically gathered them.

"Maybe somewhere different," said Abel.

"Yeah, let's go check out Rainfall Village," said Yuzu.

The group flew to the east of where they had found the Rain Staff. They found a rustic village constructed within a forest, the heart of nature itself. The buildings were mostly log cabins with an empty dirt square in the centre of town. From the lay of the land, the only way to cross into the Rainfall Village's landmass on foot was a bridge which came from the west, at the southern entrance to a thin bay. The south part of the landmass had a toxic swamp, so the only other access points were to sail boats to the east or north.

After casing the shops, they could find nothing but standard gear in the weapon shop and basic potions in the item shop. Upon exploring the local forest, a harpy descended upon the group. Abel fired an almighty beam at her. Disintegrated by it, the harpy left behind her magic stone. "A harpy?" asked Yuzu.

"Aren't they weak monsters?" asked Midori.

"Yeah," replied Abel, telekinetically retrieving the stone. "That one was only Lv3, not too hard to fight."

"This is pretty close to our base in Sunstone City too," said Yuzu.

"Yeah, it will be easy for us to check up on them," said Midori.

"We'll send the Xenos here. Let's tell Fushimi to begin building a bulwark," said Abel.

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Later on, the Hestia Familia found themselves in the Dungeon on F20. The Guild and the Babelites had ordered them to begin escorting the Xenos to their new home. They were ordered to take Wiene down to a certain chamber on this floor in order to meet Ouranos' contact. Within seconds of arriving, a man dressed in a black cloak stepped out from behind a pillar. "Hello, Hestia Familia. I am Fels, a servant of Lord Ouranos. I will be your guide," said the cloaked man.

Fels led the Familia down several corridors until he came to what appeared to be a dead end. He moved a stone out of the way, revealing a hole. Once everyone was through, he replaced the stone to conceal the passage. They continued onward and entered another large chamber. Suddenly, a red lizardman pounced towards Bell from behind a rock! The Little Rookie thrust a high kick straight towards the lizardman's jaw.

The lizardman righted himself and landed on his feet. It hissed at Bell. "At ease Lyd," said Fels.

The lizardman turned to Fels. "Ah, Lord Fels, it's good to see you," said Lyd.

"Aye, I've brought an escort. The Babelites have picked out a new home on F65 for you. We'll be going there, but let's rest before we begin the trip," said Fels.

Fels and Lyd led the group further down the tunnel, where they found a set of caves and alcoves. They had been converted into crude habitats using straw and other items scavenged from the Dungeon. The group met the Xenos, who were about fifty in number. They ranged from a harpy to a fomoire and a green dragon. The Xenos prepared a feast to celebrate their final day living in this area. Surprisingly, the Xenos had access to food from the surface, likely confiscated from fallen adventurers.

At the centre of the table was a large turkey, basted to perfection over a fire. The Familia ate this main course along with vegetables such as potatoes, corn, and peas. They washed this meal down with fresh water. As they feasted, they noticed that Fels never ate any food. "Fels, aren't you going to eat?" asked Welf.

"No, I have no need to eat," said Fels. "Look."

Fels removed his hood, revealing a fleshless skull underneath. "Whoa!" said Welf in shock.

"How?" asked Lili.

"I was the sage who created a stone that granted immortality," replied Fels, covering his head with his hood.

"Wow!" said Bell. "How did you come to work for Ouranos?"

"That was when I first came to Orario, many years ago. Ouranos had approached me about becoming his agent," replied Fels.

"When did you find out about us Xenos?" asked Wiene.

"That was about fifteen or sixteen years ago, when he sent me on a mission to investigate a strange monster," replied Fels.

"Yep, that was me," said Lyd. "As I recall, he was quite shocked to learn that I could speak his language. We worked out our grievances and Ouranos decided to form a mutual support network with us. You see, all we want is to be able go to the surface. We don't want to be cooped up in this Dungeon like a prison."

"If you go up there now, you'll be attacked. You can't possibly fight off every adventurer in Orario," said Lili.

"Yeah, we know that," said Lyd.

"Ganesha is making his best efforts to increase tolerance, but progress is slow," said Fels. "The mortal races have been conditioned to fear and despise monsters for so long, it won't be easy."

"Even after you've heard our story, don't hesitate to fight back should any monster attack you, Xenos or not," said Lyd. "One day, we'll be able to move freely on the surface. Please stay alive, so you can see that day."

"I understand," said Bell.

"Before you begin the escort, be warned that there are people who hunt the Xenos as prized rarities," said Fels. "No doubt they will strike as soon as the Xenos migrate to their new home. I will leave earlier to divert as many as I can."

"That's too risky! You'll be outnumbered!" said Lili.

"Don't worry. I have a plan," said Fels. "Once they clean up after the feast, guide the Xenos on their migration."

"Okay," said Bell. "Good luck and stay safe."

As the feast started to wind down, Fels had left early as he had promised. After the Xenos packed their possessions, the Hestia Familia and Xenos followed. They reached the portal in F18 without incident, thanks to the Babelites keeping adventurers away. They took a second portal at the Babelite base to F65, the Dragon's Den. This was the first time the Hestia Familia had set foot in the Scenarios of the Planes, never mind a floor as deep as F65.

As the Xenos filed out of the portal, the Hestia Familia met the Survivors. "Hey! You finally made it!" said Yuzu.

"Yeah, it's great to see you guys," said Bell.

"No doubt!" said Welf. "We got the Xenos out of there. We didn't get into too much trouble, just a few small monster attacks."

The Survivors flew the group the rest of the way to Rainfall Village, northeast of Sunstone City. After passing over a bridge to the northeast, they encountered a garrison to the north, which was still under construction. The sound of hammers clanging and drills whirring filled the area with a sense of industriousness. The group followed the bay north, up the grassland, passing by a desert to the east. After passing over a set of hills, they found Rainfall Village.

Once the demons landed, the Xenos scattered around the village. Wiene claimed the weapons and armour shop to the east of the dirt square as her new home. Lyd took the inn, which was just north of Wiene's weapon shop. "Thank you Hestia Familia and Babelites, for delivering us to our new home," said Lyd.

"No problem," said Bell. "We may not be ready yet, but one day, I hope all of us can live together on the surface."

"Aye, I hope that day will come soon," said Lyd. "For now, we must make do with this new home. Thank you, and see you soon."

The Survivors and Hestia Familia turned to leave the village. Wiene came out of the shop with some common steel weapons. "Hey, we can use these to defend our home," said Wiene.

"Sure, distribute them to the others," said Lyd.

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After Fels left the tunnel to the Xenos village, he replaced the rock and made his way north. As he entered the next chamber, he could feel a dozen pairs of eyes watching him, following his movements. He paid them no heed as he entered another chamber. At the far side was a raised area of rock with several pillars of rock at its front. A single ramp led up to this raised area. As he crested the ramp, his pursuers blocked the room's entrance.

"STOP!" cried the leader, stepping forward to address him.

Fels turned around. He saw several men dressed in leather armour. All of them carried a weapon of some sort, whether a sword or a bow. "Who are you?" asked Fels.

"We'll be asking the questions," replied the man curtly. "We want to know where those Xenos are. We know you've been visiting them."

Fels and Ouranos' suspicions were correct. Fels had been followed on the way down. "What if I refuse?" asked Fels.

"We can be very persuasive," said the thug leader. His men brandished their weapons. "We have you outnumbered. There is no escape."

"Is that so?" asked Fels.

Four men dressed in olive military jumpsuits came out from behind the pillars. All were armed with guns. Another twelve assorted demons appeared behind them. "Oh shit!" said the leader.

"BANG! BANG! BANG!"

 **END OF CHAPTER**


	15. Int 04 - Persona

Disclaimer:  
DanMachi was created by Fujino Omori. Shin Megami Tensei was created by Atlus. This story uses reference material from them.

 **Demons of the Dungeon  
By: RB3  
Integration 4: Persona**

In another world far from Orario, there was a small, mascot-like cat. He was a creature with black fur and wore a mask with holes for blue eyes. Like the strange world around him, he was fading in sparkles of light, and the real world was reasserting its presence over the illusionary. "The whole world is cognition, not just the Metaverse. It can freely be remade," said the cat.

One of his friends turned around. "Dude, Mona!" said the blond-haired boy, wide-eyed in shock at the state of his friend.

"Mona!" said a blonde girl dressed in red leather. "This can't be happening!"

As rushed to his aid, the ground collapsed between them, keeping them apart. "Soon, a new world will come, one where mankind isn't held captive. The world will shine brightly so long as you hold hope in your hearts," said Mona.

He rose in the air, like a spirit ascending to heaven. "What's going to happen to you?" asked another girl, a brunette.

For several moments, Mona did not respond. He simply gazed at the faces of his friends, wanting to see their faces for one final time, burning them into his memory so he would never forget. "Remember, there is no real world. What each person sees and feels, those are what shape reality. That is what gives this world infinite potential," said Mona.

He continued to float higher into the sky, into the vast white void. To Mona, his friends looked like they stood on a single fading island in this white, ocean-like void. "Even if you feel that only darkness lies ahead, as long as you hold hands together and see it through as one, the world will never end. The world exists within all of you!" said Mona, before being consumed by the whiteness.

After several seconds, the whiteness itself faded into darkness. Mona continued his ascent, finding himself flying through a vast black void filled with stars. It was like soaring through outer space. He crossed this Sea of Souls into another yet vast void. This one was crimson, like a vast blood-like cloud which extended endlessly in all directions. This crimson Expanse had just as many stars, only larger and brighter than those of the Sea of Souls.

Mona found himself speeding towards one of the dimmer stars, hidden beyond the crimson clouds. It was as though he was being drawn there by an unknown force. The star revealed itself to be an earthly world, visible through the misty redness. As he pierced the barrier, a whiteness blinded him. "Ow!" he blurted, as the sensation of collision caused pain throughout his body.

Mona did know how long he had been down, but he started to stir, trying to rise from the ground. After dusting himself off, he found himself within a cavern lit by firefly-like insects on the roof. The walls were white bedrock and towered high above the diminutive, cat-like Mona. "What is this place?" asked Mona, gazing around in wonderment. He decided on a test. "Zorro, come!"

A muscular, top-heavy caricature of Zorro, appeared beside the cat. While its capabilities had diminished, Mona felt relief from seeing Zorro. It was a spirit-like entity known as a Persona, a thoughtform which represented Mona's innermost thoughts and feelings. Mona created a small green tornado, a Garu spell. He then cast a Dia spell, which soothed his wounds in white light. Although weakened, he still had these powers as a means of defence.

He used Zorro to scan the area. It told him that he was underground, in a vast subterranean labyrinth at least thirty floors deep. He was currently on F16, which was not too deep or large compared to the rest of the labyrinth. He scanned the area and found what appeared to be a tunnel leading up to F15. Using it to ascend a floor, he was in range to detect numerous life signatures above, suggesting that there was civilization waiting for him there.

Upon reaching F15, he heard a group of dogs growling and charging his way. They were a pack of six hellhounds, all hungry for flesh and blood. "Dogs... Evil, fire-breathing dogs!" remarked Mona.

Mona immediately summoned Zorro and set a Garu spell upon them. The tornado scooped up the dogs and battered them like an eggbeater. Once they perished, the hellhounds dropped strange, glowing violet stones onto the ground. Mona collected them, curious as to what their purpose was. He continued onward and found the tunnel up to F14. He used Zorro's scanning power and found the location of the tunnel up to the floor above.

Once on F13, a group of white rabbits blocked his way to the next tunnel up. These rabbits, almiraj, looked at him in curiosity with burning red eyes. Scowls formed on their faces. They drew axes and pounced on him. "Great, now killer rabbits!" remarked Mona sarcastically.

He sent a tornado at them, shredding them to pieces. Mona started to pant, fatigue setting in from using his magic to such a frequent extent. Normally, he would not get so tired like this. Since he had lost so much of his strength after his "death," he also lost the stamina he once had. After gathering the stones, he reached the staircase to F12. More hellhounds pursued him. He tossed out a tornado which shredded them all and collected the strange stones which they dropped.

"Phew, I hope the monsters higher up are easier," said Mona to himself.

After reaching F12, he noted that the environment had changed. This area was like a leafless autumn forest, covered in a thick white mist which made for poor visibility. Despite this challenge, he pressed on. He passed by a group of young men and women in combat gear which had cut down an orc and its imp allies. They stopped to wipe their brows of sweat and noticed Mona climbing the stairs to F11, unsure of what to make of him.

The mascot cat ascended more floors and eventually found himself on the stairs to the surface. He encountered a group of adventurers, who parted ways to allow him to pass. They stared at Mona in curiosity, confusion, and bewilderment. "Is there something wrong?" Mona asked the people, noticing their stares.

"No, nothing," replied a random male adventurer.

"Actually, could you tell me what the town up there is called?" Mona asked.

"Orario," replied the adventurer.

"Okay, I'm kinda hungry. Where might I find a place to get food?" asked Mona.

"The Hostess of Fertility. You can find it west of the Dungeon entrance," replied the adventurer.

"Thank you," replied Mona.

The cat continued onward to Orario proper. When he reached the open sky, he breathed in the fresh air and basked in the warm, sun. He was filled with joy to be out of that dark, cooped up Dungeon. Finally, he was in open expanse of the city of Orario. He stomach was growling, demanding that he find food. He searched his pouches for cash, but realized that he had no money. Having no money meant no food.

Mona remembered those crystals he had collected. Perhaps he could sell them for some cash to buy a meal? They looked like jewels, so he might be able to get a good price for them. He decided to ask a nearby adventurer, a blonde elf girl who was deep in thought. She was dressed in pink and looked like she attended a prestigious private school of some form. "Hey!" cried Mona. He got no response. "HEY! Down here!"

"Huh?" asked the elf.

"I want to know if there was any place that would buy these crystals?" asked Mona, showing them to her.

"Oh, uh, the Pantheon building," replied the elf. "It's the big building along the road leading northwest from Babel Tower in the centre of town. It has flags on its front. You can't miss it."

"Thank you," replied Mona, who immediately dashed away to cash in the magic stones.

The elf, however, was left dumbfounded at what she had just seen, a talking cat. Her friends had arrived to meet her. "Lefiya, over here!" cried an amazon.

"Coming!" said the elf.

Mona found and entered the Pantheon and leapt onto the counter before a teller. "Will you buy these for money?" Mona asked the teller.

"Sure, if you're registered as an adventurer," replied the teller.

"Okay, how can I get registered?" asked Mona.

"There are forms and pencils to my left beside my booth," replied the teller, pointing in that direction. "Fill one out and hand it to Eina over at the front desk."

Mona quickly grabbed one of the forms and pencils. For the name, he filled in "Morgana" as his first name and "Mona" as his family name. When asked why he wanted to be an adventurer, he wrote that he needed money to support himself. When asked about his race, he had to think about that. He decided to skip it. For Familia, he left it blank, since the form had instructed him to do so if he didn't have one. When asked about special abilities and talents, he put down "Persona."

He took the completed form to the front desk where Eina worked at. "Hello," said Morgana. Eina looked around, but could not see anyone talking to her. "Here!"

Morgana jumped onto the counter so Eina could see him. "Oh, uh, hi..." said Eina.

"I want to be an adventurer. I filled out my form. Please register me," said Morgana.

"Sure," replied Eina. She looked over the form. "You forgot to write down your race."

"I... don't know my race," replied Morgana.

"You look like one, so I'll just put in cat people," said Eina.

"I'm not a cat!" said Morgana.

"If you're not a cat, then what are you?" asked Eina.

"Uh, well..." replied Morgana. He sighed. "Fine..."

"Hmm... Persona?" asked Eina, continuing down the form.

"Everyone wears a mask over their true self. If you can remove that mask, your true self can come out and battle for you," replied Morgana. "That is Persona."

"Okay... That should be it. All you need is a picture and you'll be set." Eina showed Morgana to the back, where he had his picture taken by a camera and attached to the form. "If you're going back into the Dungeon, stay on the first two floors. You don't have a Familia yet, so don't take big risks."

"Okay," said Morgana.

Morgana received an ID card to allow him access to the Guild's functions. He cashed in his magic stones at the teller and received more than 100,000 Valis for the whole lot. He pocketed his pay and travelled to the Hostess of Fertility to grab a meal. At the restaurant, he sat at a stool at the end of the bar. "Hello," said the owner, a large dwarven woman named Mia Grand.

"Hi, I'd like a fish pilaf," said Morgana.

"Okay, one fish pilaf coming up!" said Mia.

Morgana enjoyed the dish and paid Mia the bill. He left in search of an inn and found one three blocks west of the Hostess of Fertility. As he lay in bed, he reminisced about how he had arrived in Orario. He was in such a strange, unfamiliar land, far from his friends. In this world, his default form was the mascot cat, just as in the Metaverse. Morgana transformed into a true black cat, the form he took on when in the physical world. He could still shapeshift, which was a relief.

He changed back to normal. He thought about how he could return home, but had no leads as to how to go about it. Getting home might take a long time, so he started to ponder ways of making a living while he was here. The only thing he really knew how to do was fight. He could steal for a living, but being a thief in this world was a different story than the Metaverse. In the Metaverse, he was stealing from Shadows, not real people. Since he was already a registered adventurer, he decided to continue that line of work.

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Kaz and Bell dropped by the Pantheon the next day. "Did ya hear? There's a new adventurer who looks like a cat," spoke one of the random adventurers.

"A cat? What's so special about that? I see those kinds of people all the time," said another.

"No, I mean a real cat, with paws, fur, fangs and all," replied the first adventurer.

"If you ask me, he's just a little kid in a suit," said a third adventurer.

"Did you hear that Bell?" asked Kaz.

"Yeah, I want to ask Eina about him," replied Bell. He approached the desk and handed Eina the reports from his goddess.

"Everyone levelled in the Hestia Familia, except you. At your Familia's current levels, exploring F37 to F50 is okay," said Eina. "We'll update our records."

"Thanks Eina," said Bell.

"Say, do you know anything about that new cat adventurer people are talking about?" asked Kaz.

"Oh him? He dropped by yesterday to hand in his application. His name is Morgana Mona. He doesn't have a Familia yet, so I told him not to go too deep," replied Eina.

"Do you know anything more, like where he frequents, or any of his abilities?" asked Kaz.

"Due to confidentiality, I can't say anything about his abilities, but I've heard that he ate dinner at the Hostess of Fertility last night," replied Eina.

"Is he a Xe... monster, or perhaps a demon?" asked Bell.

"He didn't seem like either when I talked to him," replied Eina.

"Hmm, I'm curious about that cat," said Kaz. "What's his story? Bell, can you ask around town about him? I'm going into the Dungeon to look for him."

"Sure," replied Bell.

"Let's meet at the Dungeon entrance in an hour," said Kaz.

While Bell scoured the town, Kaz entered F1 of the Dungeon. He reached out with his senses, trying to detect anything that might reveal the location of the strange cat adventurer. He detected a cool, windy spell being cast one floor below. It was Garu magic, something he was very familiar with. Kaz followed the source of the spell straight to the cat. Morgana had called out Zorro, who had used the Garu spell again to kill a group of kobolds. Morgana then collected the magic stones as loot.

"Hey!" said Kaz.

Morgana turned around. "Hi! Who are you?" he asked.

"I'm Kazuya Minegishi. You're Morgana Mona, aren't you?" asked Kaz.

"Yes," replied Morgana.

"Your power has piqued my interest. That's a 'Persona,' isn't it?" asked Kaz.

Morgana's jaw dropped. "H... How did you know?" asked Morgana.

"I've seen Personas before. You're not from around here, are you?" asked Kaz.

"No," replied Morgana.

"I see, how did you get here?" said Kaz.

"I... don't know..." replied Morgana. "One moment my body was disappearing and the next, I'm flying through space and now I'm here."

Kaz pondered Morgana's words. "You must have many questions. Let's head up to the surface and talk there."

"Okay, let's talk outside the tower," said Morgana. Kaz followed Morgana out of the Dungeon to safety just outside of Babel Tower. "Okay, please tell me more about yourself."

"I'm a member of the Hestia Familia. We know a few of the Babelites, who came to fight demons in Orario. We can give you information and assistance, but we'd ask that you join the Hestia Familia first. We understand that joining a Familia is a big decision, so we'll give you time to think about it," said Kaz.

"Hey Kaz!" cried Bell, running over to meet him. "You found him!"

"Yeah, this is Morgana Mona. I extended an offer to join our Familia to him. Is that okay?" asked Kaz.

"No problem. I'd have no problem if he joined up," said Bell.

"Morgana, this is Bell Cranel, my Familia's captain," said Kaz. The two shook hands. "Morgana, I'm sure you're busy working the Dungeon. If you want to join, or just talk, come find me at the Hestia Hall. It's along the road leading west of the Dungeon entrance. When you see the ruined buildings go north. Our home is an old church which had been converted into a meeting hall."

"Okay, thank you Kaz," said Morgana.

Morgana returned home from the Dungeon with a pile of magic stones. Despite acquiring so many, he only got 20,000 Valis, far less than what he took in on the way into Orario. He thought it must have been due to the upper floor monsters being so weak compared to the ones deeper in. When he cashed them in and returned to his room in the inn, he sat on the bed to rest. He pondered what he should do about Kaz's offer. Ultimately, he decided on joining the Hestia Familia, since he needed information and allies.

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The next day, Morgana travelled to the Hestia Familia's home, a church converted into a meeting hall. It was in a part of town with many ruins from old Orario, left untouched as new buildings got built around them. He knocked on the door of the sole intact building in the area. Bell answered the door. "Oh, hi Morgana! Did you want to talk?" asked Bell.

"Yeah," replied Morgana. "I've decided to join your Familia."

"Okay, I'll introduce you to my goddess," said Bell, who showed Morgana to a young, black-haired girl at the entrance to the kitchen.

"I'm Hestia. I'm the goddess of this Familia," said the girl. "I'll need a bed to give you a Falna, so you have the power to fight monsters."

She led Morgana to her bedroom, where she pricked her finger and smeared the blood down his back. A tattoo like a flaming brazier surrounding by writing appeared, all formed with black ink which glowed white in response to Hestia's power. "Let's have a look," said Hestia.

 **Morgana Mona**  
Lv 3

Str: C  
Vit: F  
Dex: D  
Agi: A  
Mgc: A

 **Skills**  
Shapeshift (assume form of a mascot cat, a normal cat, or a van)  
Miracle Punch (use mind to amplify Zorro's punch)  
Scanner (determine an object's location and traits, see floor layout, gain telepathy)  
Mercurius (wind immunity, light resist, electricity evasion)

 **Magic**  
Persona: Zorro (no-chant, summons the Persona Zorro to use magic and skills, fast growth)  
Garu (no-chant, generate various forms of wind)  
Salvation (no-chant, heal area, remove status ailments)

 **Dev Abilities**  
Status Resist H  
Mage G  
Magic Resist I

Morgana was a larcenous mascot cat from the Sea of Souls. As a thief, being able to shapeshift into a normal cat was the perfect disguise to elude pursuers. As a bonus, turning into a van allowed transportation to and from the scene of a heist. His Zorro was a Persona, a thoughtform based upon the user's personality. Morgana always wanted to be manly, so Zorro had a very top-heavy appearance. Since a Persona was fundamentally thought and emotion, he began his career as a Lv3 and could grow far faster than most other adventurers.

It was through Zorro that Morgana could access most of his other abilities. The most prominent, Scanner, was perfect for planning heists. It allowed him to identify the best routes to take, with telepathy to coordinate movement with his team. His target was certainly guarded, so his power let him detect the enemy's weaknesses and exploit them for victory. Just this skill alone would make other Familia scramble to nab him.

"Wow! Such a smorgasbord of rare abilities!" remarked Hestia, she pressed a parchment onto his back and gave it to him.

"Most of it I know already," said Morgana.

"We're glad to have you on the team. Now, we have an adorable little mascot for our Familia!" said Hestia, hugging Morgana tightly.

"Hey! Cut that out!" said Morgana.

"You're so cute!" said Hestia.

"Okay! Okay! Can you put me down now?" asked Morgana.

Hestia let go of Morgana. "Sorry, got a little carried away," said Hestia. "Let's head down now."

Morgana and Hestia met with the others at the central dining hall. Hestia introduced Lili and Haruhime to Morgana. "Hi Morgana," said Lili.

"Wow, what a cute little guy!" said Haruhime.

They all seated at a table in front of the fireplace. "Whatcha up to today?" asked Morgana.

"We're going to plan our next expedition into the Dungeon," replied Bell.

At that moment, a knocking came from the door. Bell answered and saw Kaz and Welf waiting outside. "Hi everybody!" said Welf.

"Hi!" said Kaz. "Oh, hi Morgana. Did you decide to join the Hestia Familia?"

"I did," replied Morgana. "Please tell me more about what you know."

"Of course. Now it's okay for me to speak," said Kaz, taking his seat. "The truth is, I'm actually a Babelite. My true identity is Abel, one of their big shots. The person you know as Kaz is like a remotely controlled body, an avatar."

"How did you learn so much about Persona?" asked Morgana.

"I did a mission in the Sea of Souls," replied Kaz.

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Kaz recounted that day in a foggy country town in the Japan of another world. The town had an anachronistic design with old, feudal era buildings made of wood among modern concrete structures and high rises. The sun was bright and high in the sky, indicating that the time was the afternoon. This realm had a supernatural aura to it and was a mere reflection of the physical world. Abel walked down the street and passed a sign which demarcated the Tatsuhime Shrine.

An inhuman roar echoed from somewhere else in the town. He followed the sound to the source, a giant, frog-like demon with a gaping wide mouth. This creature was Abaddon, the very demon he was hunting. A group of teenagers faced off against it. "Amaterasu!" cried a black-haired girl in blue.

"Izanagi!" cried a grey-haired boy in casual summer clothes.

The girl had summoned a being which resembled a golden woman with a drape of metal feathers and armed with a katana. The guy had also summoned a similar being, this one appearing as a male robot wearing a black long coat. Abel thought it strange that this Amaterasu looked so different from the goddess as he remembered her. Amaterasu spewed flame at Abaddon with Izanagi joining the attack by shooting lightning.

Abaddon was unfazed. He roared, letting loose a shockwave which bowled over the teenagers. They appeared to have been hit quite hard, as they were very slow on recovering. Abel teleported in-between Abaddon and the teenagers. "Who's that?" asked a girl with short blue hair, prompted by his appearance.

"Don't know," said a rough, black-haired boy.

Abaddon roared and let loose the shockwave, but Abel absorbed it without flinching. He raised a single hand, from which a beam of violet energy burst forth. It blasted Abaddon through a store, levelling the building, then carrying him all the way to a set of train tracks. An explosion burst forth, disintegrating Abaddon. "Whoa! Did you see that?" asked one of the brown-haired guys in awe of that display.

"Who are you?" asked the boy who had summoned Izanagi. Abel turned to address him.

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"Those people introduced themselves as a group of Persona users from the town of Inaba in Japan," replied Kaz.

"Ah! I think I've heard of that town," said Morgana. "Did you say Rise Kujikawa was one of them?"

"Yes, if I recall correctly," replied Kaz. "Do you know her?"

"She's a famous actress. So you've met other Persona users... I see," said Morgana. "Do you know why I might have been brought here?"

"That's difficult to say," said Kaz. "Anything I say would be purely speculation."

"What's going on with the demons in Orario?" asked Morgana.

"We don't know for sure, but something seems to be attracting them," replied Kaz. "My friends are searching the unexplored bottom floors for clues. Now that the Hestia Familia is helping out, I can join my friends down there. Beyond F74 or F75, our scanners can't detect anything, as though something was blocking them. We're going down to take a closer look."

"Wow, that's pretty deep! How far have you gotten so far?" asked Morgana.

"We'll be going to F69 soon. We're trying to set up portals in safe spots as waypoints. The monsters there are very strong. You're not ready to take them yet. Even I have to go as Abel, since I won't survive that deep in as Kaz," said Kaz.

Morgana sighed. "I lost so much of my old power when I got dumped here. I'll have to build it up all over again," said Morgana. "If you find anything, let me know."

"Of course. As a member of the Familia, you'll be the first in line to know," said Kaz.

"Our Familia makes a special kind of croquette which can help an adventurer level up fast," said Bell. "Help yourself, but don't overeat. Kaz said it's unhealthy."

"Thank you, that will help me a lot!" said Morgana.

"Okay, let's talk about our next expedition," said Hestia.

"Yeah, Eina had cleared us for F37 to F50. We can go there now," said Bell.

"Awesome!" said Welf.

Lili smiled in satisfaction. "Very good. According to Kaz, the Babelites have built a new portal to F37 in a hidden area near the stairs up to F36. Although no monsters spawn there, they might still wander in by accident."

"F65 is another option. That's where our base is. There are weaker monsters in the field we can fight, but higher level monsters do wander in from time to time," said Kaz.

"I think we'd need your friends on call, in case we get into trouble. At our current levels, if we bumped into even one Lv7 monster, we wouldn't stand a chance," said Lili.

"Fair enough. Let's call a vote. Should we make F37 our next stop?" asked Kaz.

The Hestia Familia raised hands unanimously in favour of F37. "The ayes have it then," said Lili.

"Okay, but I still think we should keep that F65 idea on the back burner. That would be a good place to hold a future joint expedition," said Kaz.

"Yeah, about that... When are we doing our next team up?" asked Bell.

"I really enjoyed that run we did with Take Mikazuchi's Familia," said Haruhime.

"Yeah, I'm still fired up from that!" said Welf.

"Sure, we can do another. Do you know any Familia that might want to pair with us?" asked Kaz.

Bell thought back to all of the people he had met as he rose through the ranks. He then remembered Hermes and Asfi, who had saved the Hestia Familia when they were trapped on F18. "How about the Hermes Familia?" asked Bell.

"Hermes Familia? Okay," said Kaz.

"Hephaestus Familia," replied Welf.

"Your old Familia? Don't they usually run expeditions with the Loki Familia now?" asked Lili.

"That was just the one time," replied Welf. "Now that you've mentioned it, how about the Loki Familia?"

"Uh, maybe later," said Bell nervously. The thought of being that close to Ais made him want to bolt.

"Hmm... I'd prefer to explore with their core group, but they are all Lv6 or Lv7," said Kaz. "We're not in their league yet. I doubt they'd want to baby-sit us."

"Okay, the Hermes Familia it is," said Hestia.

 **END OF CHAPTER**


	16. Law 01 - One True God

Disclaimer:

DanMachi was created by Fujino Omori. Shin Megami Tensei was created by Atlus. This story uses reference material from them.

 **Demons of the Dungeon  
By: RB3  
Law in Orario 1: One True God**

After Abel had destroyed the demon Paimon, peace had returned to Orario. Though the invasion thwarted, the hospitals of the city were flooded with people who had been left wounded by the battles. Paul, having been blessed by an angel, started to travel around Orario. He visited one of these hospitals, finding bloodied patients and others covered in bandages. He held his hand over the cast on a man's leg. Paul's hand glowed with a white light and the patient's broken bones started to set themselves and mend, curing him of his condition.

"I'm healed! Thank you, Father Paul!" said the man in a cast, standing up properly.

"You're welcome," said Paul.

In another ward of the hospital, he encountered a young blonde girl with her father, a loving man with black hair and glasses. The sweet innocent girl was bawling her eyes out. The monitoring gemstone for a woman, her mother, was darkened by the ending of her life. "Why mommy? Why did you have to leave me?" asked the girl. "Father Paul? Is there anything you can do for my mommy?"

"I'm sorry, it's too late for her. She is with God now," replied Paul.

"Why? Why?" asked the girl between her tears.

"Good people pass away. The righteous often die before their time, but no one cares or wonders why. No one understands that God is protecting them from evil to come. Those who are righteous rest in peace after they die," said Paul, paraphrasing a verse he had read. "God has taken your mother away to protect her from the evil of the demons. Please don't cry anymore, for she is in a better place now."

Paul hugged the little girl, trying to comfort her for the loss of her mother to the demonic invasion. "Thank you, Father Paul," said the girl's father. "Amy was important to both of us."

"Aye, please take care of the girl. With your wife gone, you need to come closer together as a family in support of each other," said Paul.

After Paul left the hospital, he returned home to rest. As he went back, one of his followers went along with him. "Greetings Father Paul," said the man, who had a fiery, yet stern disposition.

"Ah Reggie, what's the status of the church?" asked Paul, recognizing the man as Reginald Zach, one of his followers.

"Construction is moving quickly. The people of Daedalus Street pitched in what little they could to help get it built, even after having lost so much," said Zach. "We also need to find a way to protect the people from the demons should they ever come back. What information do you have on this?"

"I've been praying, communing with them on this," replied Paul. "The angels are willing to bless the new clergy with powers like mine. They will also ordain a few good men as templars to guard our church. The angels will want to subject their recruits to rigorous testing before they are allowed to have this power. They want the best in terms of strength and moral character."

"Okay," said Zach. He showed Paul a picture of a pastel blue shield with a white cross on it. "Here is the proposed emblem. How do you like it?"

"I think it's a perfect fit. The shield represents protection, while the light blue colour is soft and soothing," replied Paul.

"So you like it! We're going to use this as our official emblem. Thank you Father Paul!" said Zach.

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In Daedalus Street, the sound of hammers clanging on metal and wood filled the air. Numerous men toiled away at the future church of Paul's new religion, erecting a monument of faith among the rubble of Orario. All around Daedalus Street and beyond, random townsfolk started to hand out flyers and pamphlets advertising the new religion, the Messian Order. As Kaz passed through Daedalus Street, he saw the construction of the church and received a flyer from one of the people.

Upon returning home, Lili noticed the flyer in his hand. "What's that?" asked Lili.

"Trouble," replied Kaz.

"What do you mean?" asked Hestia.

"Father Paul has started a new religion in Orario. I've run into these guys before. They're called the Messian Order," replied Kaz. "They're the followers of the angels, who are the Law to the Chaos of demons. Sure they seem kind, helping the poor, but wait 'til you see how nasty they get to those who don't worship their God. I heard of people being killed for that."

"If that's the case, shouldn't we shut down their church?" asked Lili.

"I don't think it's everyone doing the bad things Kaz is describing," said Bell. "If they're helping poor people, we shouldn't bother them."

"Until they actually commit a crime, we can't do anything against them. Nevertheless, Fushimi has warned the Guild to be on the watch for vandalism and assaults," said Kaz.

"You said they worshipped a God. Just who is this God they worship?" asked Hestia.

"He is known by many names, YHVH, Elohim, Demiurge, Yaldabaoth..." replied Kaz.

"Did you say Yaldabaoth?" asked Morgana.

"Yes Yaldabaoth," replied Kaz. "He believes he is the supreme being, but he is merely an avatar of a greater being known as the Great Will. You seem to know about Yaldabaoth. Have you encountered him yourself, Morgana?"

"Well, uh, kinda... When I was with my friends, we were called the Phantom Thieves," said Morgana. "We went down into the deepest part of the Metaverse and found a being called Yaldabaoth. He was behind all of the problems we had to deal with. After we beat him, I was going to disappear with the Metaverse."

"Yet you didn't. You were brought here to Orario," said Kaz.

"Yeah," replied Morgana. "Have you and your friends ever met or fought the Messian God?"

"Not directly, but we've heard of the some of the things he has done," replied Kaz.

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Kaz recounted how on one mission, the Survivors had found themselves in the middle of Tokyo of another world. A dome of rock had enclosed the entire area of the city's heart, blotting out the sun save for a single hole. It was perpetually night, with the street lights providing the only light. Many of the buildings had suffered significant damage with windows shattered and rubble strewn on the ground. Abel could feel demons lurking in the shadows, lying in wait for unsuspecting travellers.

"Where are all the people?" asked Yuzu.

"Underground," replied Atsuro looking at the reading from his comp. "They're hiding from the demons."

"Isn't this Yoyogi Park?" asked Midori, looking into the distance. "Why are all the trees all pink like that?"

The Survivors noticed that Midori was right. Yoyogi Park's trees were all a glowing pink, despite it not being possible for every tree to be a sakura tree. They decided to go towards the park to explore and find out what was happening there. They crossed a bridge over a pond and reached a crossroads with roads leading east and west. The road they were travelling also continued north, to an old Shinto shrine in the heart of the park.

A Japanese woman with bleached blonde hair approached the group. She was dressed in a red leather suit and black boots. "Who are you?" asked the woman.

"We're explorers. We were wondering what was going on here," replied Atsuro. "This is Yoyogi Park, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it was, a long time ago. Now it's a refuge for the fairies. I'm their leader and representative, Nozomi," replied the woman.

"I'm Atsuro Kihara," said Atsuro, who then introduced his friends to Nozomi.

"How did the city of Tokyo end up like this?" asked Yuzu.

"25 years ago, God unleashed his wrath upon the world," replied Nozomi.

"God unleashed his wrath? How?" asked Yuzu.

"God started nuclear war across the Earth. As an ICBM flew to Tokyo, a member of the Counter-Demon Force summoned Masakado to create the Firmament. That's the rock dome which covers the city," replied Nozomi.

"Why?" asked Midori. "Why would God kill so many people?"

"To get the demons," replied Nozomi. "Before the war, Japan had built the Yamato Perpetual Reactor as a new power source. It opened a gate to the Expanse, which allowed the demons to enter our world. God wanted to stop them. He decided that nuclear weapons was the only solution."

"What a monster!" said Midori.

"I know," said Nozomi. "His angels and Lucifer's demons began a war for control of the city. We were caught in the middle, then Flynn came and my friend Nanashi. Together, they fought both sides and won freedom for humans."

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"So this Nanashi defeated God?" asked Morgana.

"Yes," replied Kaz. "Even with YHVH gone, the angels continued to operate until his return."

"That reminds me, shouldn't you guys get ready to head into the Dungeon?" asked Hestia.

"Yeah, we've got work today," replied Bell. "Let's get ready."

The Hestia Familia travelled to the Babelite portal station in the outskirts of Orario. The area was packed with adventurers of Lv3 and higher, who intended to use a shortcut to get into the deeper Dungeon floors. Some were headed to the safe zone on F18, hoping to fight monsters on the nearby floors. Others were going deeper to F50, but only a select few dared line up for F65. These adventurers were all members of the top tier Familia like the Loki and Freya.

"Hey Argonaut!" called Tiona.

"Oh hi Tiona!" replied Bell. "Headed to the Dungeon today?"

"Yeah, we're going to train on the deepest floors," said Tiona. "We hope to get as close to F63 as we can today."

"Great! How are our croquettes working?" asked Bell.

"Awesome!" replied Tione. "Thanks to them, Ais is close to her next level. My sister and I are getting there too."

Bell could not help but feel his heart sink. Ais seemed further away than ever, a feeling which stung with irony as it was because of his own Familia's croquettes. Kaz came over to meet them. "Hi guys! How are your friends?" asked Kaz. "I mean Bete and Lefiya."

"Ah Kaz! Yeah, they've made a full recovery. The whole gang is going in today," replied Tiona. "So, where are you off to today?"

"We're headed to F37 using that new portal that got set up," said Bell.

An electronic sign beeped and flashed the Hestia Familia's number, calling for them to go into the Dungeon. "That's our cue. We've gotta go. See you later," said Kaz.

"Bye!" said Bell.

Bell and Kaz waved to the sisters as they disappeared among the crowd. They rejoined the Hestia Familia in passing through the portal and emerging in an area of white bedrock. This area was F37, also known as the White Palace for its bright white walls. The floor had a circular layout with the whole floor surrounded by a circular outer wall. The staircase down was in the central chamber, which was where the Floor Boss Udaeus spawned.

The portal itself had been set up in a chamber just a few feet east of where the actual stairs went up. This tunnel was once covered by rock, until the Babelites cleared it. A group of demons guarded the safe small chamber. They had the front half of a lion and the rear of an ant. They were known as the Myrmecoleon. Before heading in deeper, Haruhime cast Kokonoe, copying Uchide no Kozuchi to cast it over her Familia. She also summoned two illusory Spartoi while Kaz brought in a Lilim.

After a few minutes of exploration, they approached a corner leading into a large chamber. "There's a dozen Spartoi lurking in the chamber up ahead," said Morgana.

Kaz peered around to corner and saw that the Spartoi, had their backs turned. Kaz nodded to his Familia, then sniped two in the back with ice beams. As the rest turned to attack, Kaz quickly iced the ground before them. The first three blundered onto the ice and slipped. The others slowed down to avoid tripping over and trampling their fallen comrades. One closed with Welf, who parried its strike. With a flick, he had dislodged the Spartoi's sword from its hands. His diagonal slice finished off the monster.

Kaz removed the ice to allow his team to close in further. Bell reached one of the downed Spartoi and finished it with a stab to the forehead. Morgana entered the room and sent a tornado blustering to the enemy's rear lines. A Spartoi got scooped up in the winds and spun in a circle. It carried the Spartoi into the wall, smashing it against the rock. Lili unloaded a volley of arrows, sending one into an eye socket and shattering its way out the other end.

More Spartoi spawned from the ground, climbing out of holes cracked into the rock. Haruhime blasted them with Foxfire, which proceeded to reduce them to ash. Yet, another set emerged. "More of them? Why do they keep spawning?" asked Welf.

"We're in a colosseum. If we can beat them all, it will end eventually," said Lili.

Welf sliced through a Spartoi's ribs and spine. He parried another's swing, overpowered it and kicked it to the ground. With a downward thrust, he finished it off. Haruhime's illusionary Spartoi locked blades with its hostile counterparts, but neither side could get a breakthrough. The Lilim moved up and fired lightning into the rear of the monster ranks. It arced throughout the group, causing convulsions which kept the survivors stunned.

"There are too many of them!" said Kaz, backing away while blasting Spartoi approaching the flanks.

"We can't let them surround us. Back into the tunnel!" said Lili.

Morgana, Haruhime, Lili, and Kaz retreated through the door way, firing every step back. Following were Bell, Welf, the Lilim, and the Spartoi illusions. Once they entered the tunnel, the Spartoi were forced to funnel through the entrance. Kaz conjured a blizzard over that area. Ice and snow started to coat Spartoi bodies, weakening them and reducing mobility. With them clumped together, Haruhime cast a Foxfire upon the Spartoi. It set both the Spartoi and Kaz's snow alit in ghostly blue flame.

The Spartoi's forward momentum had noticeably diminished. Bell cut down three Spartoi, but had accidentally spread Foxfire to his Hestia Knife and hand. "I'm on fire!" said Bell.

"Don't worry! My new spell won't hurt you," said Haruhime. "Take advantage of the fire!"

She fired a dark bolt at a Spartoi, taking off its skull. Bell charged in and sliced another Spartoi in the ribs. Upon cracking them, the Foxfire spread to the Spartoi, quickly engulfing its whole body. All that remained of the Spartoi horde were dozens of magic stones littered on the ground. The entire area was flooded with Foxfire until it suddenly vanished all at once. After Kaz washed the loot into a pile, Lili and Haruhime collected them.

Welf rejoined the group. "What's that new spell you got?" asked Welf.

"You mean mine?" asked Haruhime.

"Yeah, the one with the weird blue flames," replied Welf. "I got some of that stuff on me, but I didn't get burned."

"Oh, that only hurts the bad guys," said Haruhime. "It's called Foxfire."

"That's an amazing spell!" remarked Kaz. "You can blast monsters with it all day and never worry about hurting your friends. In fact, hitting your friends just makes it worse for the other side."

"Oh yeah, I saw that when I slashed that Spartoi," said Bell. "So if I get that stuff on me, I can spread it... That's nice to know."

Lili and Haruhime bagged the last handful of magic stones from the ground. "We got everything. Time to go," said Lili.

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The stairs down to F69 led the Survivors to what looked like a clear glass, tubular elevator. It was surprisingly modern and advanced compared to the rest of the things in the Dungeon. It even boasted an LCD screen which displayed their current floor. The elevator swooshed down and looking outside, the Survivors could see what looked like outer space with distant stars and a cluster of crystals casting light like a sun. They were in a wheel-like structure, with clear tube-like spokes which acted as elevators shafts.

Once they exited, they came upon a sign which read 'Welcome to Orario Lagrange Colony.' "Wow! We're in outer space!" said Midori, excited to see such a strange floor. The back of the sign read 'Babel Central Axis Lift.'

"Are we still in the Dungeon?" asked Yuzu.

"Yes, that's what my comp says," replied Atsuro. "It seems space on this floor is distorted."

"There's the Earth!" said Midori pointing up a blue planet in the sky. "Wow, a real live space station! This is so cool!"

The Survivors continued through the town, which had been built along the edges of the wheel. It looked very much like a resort and tourist trap. A long body of water ran down the length of the wheel, surrounded by grass and trees. Further away, along the sides of the wheel, were apartment complexes built right into the walls of the colony itself. Other homes were built like the ones back in Orario, erected on top of the ground, separate from the colony's walls.

They approached a playground for children with a set of swings, a seesaw, and slides. Suddenly, in a nearby parking lot, a dozen humanoid monsters arose from cracks in the ground. The first type were space marines, human men dressed in suits of olive powered armour. The second type were Reticulans, who looked like grey aliens in black spandex suits. The last were Pleiadeans, beautiful blonde Nordic women in blue spandex suits.

The Pleiadeans began emitting psychic waves, trying to bore into the minds of the Survivors, who were unfazed. In retaliation, Abel emitted a psychic screech, shocking the Pleiadeans and knocking them onto their butts. The space marines started firing numerous plasma bolts from their guns. Yuzu formed a magic barrier to block them. One of the Reticulans levitated a car from the parking lot and hurled it at the Survivors. Atsuro caught it and tossed it back, forcing the enemy to scatter.

"...And now we're fighting aliens!" said Midori. "Let's show them how love and justice always prevail!"

Midori leapt at a Pleiadean, hurling fire all the way down. The alien woman evaded. Once Midori landed, the Pleiadean tried to bore into her psychically. In a burst of willpower, Midori pushed the alien out and burnt the Pleiadean until only ashes and a magic stone remained. Another Pleiadean tried to bore into Black Frost's mind, finding her powers had no effect. He breathed an icy wind, freezing her solid. She toppled over and shattered to pieces.

"That no work on me-ho," said Black Frost.

Abel turned his arm into a vine and wound it around a Reticulan's neck. He whipped the alien into a slide, punching a hole into it and knocking it over. He spawned a second, thornier vine from the ground which wrapped around a space marine. The vine squeezed tightly, impaling him with its thorns. Upon release, the marine split into pieces which vanished and left its magic stone behind. Suddenly, Scarlet appeared behind a marine firing a gun. She burned a hole through his body, leaving him to flounder in agony before collapsing.

A Reticulan levitated and tossed another car at Atsuro, only to have him catch it. Atsuro ran forward and swung the vehicle at the alien's head, striking with the loud clang of metal bending. As the alien lay dazed, Atsuro dropped the car onto the alien's head, pulping it into a black smear. Viola leapt over a space marine and sliced off his arms as she descended. She kicked the marine down, where he crumbled into a magic stone. Viola dashed to a Reticulan and decapitated it with a single stroke as she passed by.

"So, we fight aliens and space marines here," remarked Abel.

"They certainly fit this environment," said Atsuro.

"This is cool, like we're in a sci-fi show fighting evil aliens!" said Midori.

"At least one of us is excited," said Yuzu. "I want to find the exit."

The Survivors reached a hangar area on the rim of Orario Lagrange Colony. It was a modern compound protected by chainlink fences with barbed wire coiled on top. Numerous trucks were parked outside and a few were docked at a loading bay. Inside one of these buildings were several wooden crates. Most were empty, but a few had supplies such as green crystals, which secreted nutritional liquids for the monsters.

"Where is the way down?" asked Yuzu.

"It's this elevator," said Atsuro, pointing to one across the room.

The elevator looked more like a modern passenger elevator than the clear, tube-like Babel Central Axis Lift they had used to arrive. The elevator descended several stories into the lobby of a modern building. The environment resembled a hotel or corporate lobby than the interior of a space station. Outside, they found themselves at the foot of a skyscraper. The sign on a small concrete island identified the building as Babel Incorporated.

Unlike the previous floor, F70 was a modern Orario. The streets were paved with asphalt and the buildings were made of brick and cement. Numerous cars were parked in the lots outside of Babel Inc., but no one walked the streets. The city itself was circular, much like the real Orario, with the Babel Inc. tower at its centre. They arrived at an expensive, high class restaurant, this floor's version of the Hostess of Fertility. Just south of the Hostess was Amor Mall, which took of the place of Amor Square.

Walking down the east street, the buildings started to look more antiquated, as though they were travelling back through time. Sleek modern cars got replaced by vehicles which resembled Ford Model Ts made in the Roaring Twenties. At the very east end of the city, they found the Colosseum Corral, a large cattle ranch. This part of Orario looked more like a rustic Wild West town than a modern concrete jungle. The buildings were made of wood, with dusty, dirt covered roads. A tumbleweed rolled down the street.

"The layout is roughly like the real thing too," remarked Abel on the layout of this version's Orario.

"All these buildings look so out of place. Let's call this place the Times of Orario," said Atsuro.

Suddenly, a dozen men and women in blue spandex tights emerged from cracks in the ground. Four of them had oversized muscular bodies and wore red capes. These ones had a shield-like emblem on their chests which depicted a muscular, flexing arm gripping a brick. The next kind wore no capes, but for their emblem had a winged boot with speed lines. The last four looked more like cowboys dressed in black hats. They were known as bricks, speedsters, and black hats respectively.

"Superheroes? Hey! We're the good guys! We're..." said Midori. Before she could finish, one of the speedsters ran up and punched her in the jaw! Midori crashed into a car, bending metal and shattering glass. Despite taking such a hard hit, she quickly got up and dusted herself. "Okay, now I'm MAD!"

"They aren't superheroes. They're monsters just like the rest!" said Yuzu, consulting her comp.

The speedster made a turn and started coming back. Black Frost put an ice patch on the ground, it camouflaged by the blackness of the asphalt. The speedster ran onto it and slipped, having his momentum carry him forward helplessly. Midori blasted him with flame, turning him to ash. "Good work, Midor-hee-ho!" said Black Frost.

A black hat fired pistols at Yog-Sothoth. He reflected the bullets, causing them to riddle the cowboy with holes. He then rained orbs on the monster group. The speedsters escaped, but three bricks were smashed into indentations in the ground. They started to climb out when Abel snatched them in vines. Lightning crackled forth from Mao's paws, searing them to ash. Atsuro weaved past the last brick's punch and retorted with his own to the jaw. He landed two more, then went low for an uppercut to the groin.

The brick dropped his hands, along with his guard, to cover the area in agony. Atsuro scored an energy beam to the chest, hurling the brick into a car. Glass scattered everywhere and the door was left with a permanent indentation. Despite such a powerful blow, the brick got up and charged at Atsuro. He missed his punch as he ran in, but threw two more. Atsuro blocked them, but the brick landed a blow to his stomach and sent Atsuro flying down the street, landing on one knee.

The brick ran in, but Atsuro blasted him with a beam. The brick got launched into the Colosseum Corral's barn and the ensuing explosion flattened the structure. "Stay down!" said Atsuro, rising from the ground.

Yuzu cast a Luster Candy spell, calling orbs of red, blue, and green to descend and fill her team with power. She could see the speedsters much more clearly. One ran around her, trying to confound her with his movements. She hurled a wind blade, slicing him through the waist. The two halves of his body split apart and vanished, leaving behind only a magic stone. The other, a woman, charged in head-on, only to get caught by the winds Yuzu whirled around her body. The speedster got lifted up, where Vidofnir could zap her with lightning.

"SMASH!" cried Hector, tossing a Model T at a rising black hat. The cowboy got struck and crushed into a magic stone.

"Is the exit anywhere nearby?" asked Yuzu.

"You're in luck! There's one in the industrial zone to the north. Let's head there now," said Atsuro.

The industrial district was home to the Times of Orario's numerous factories. Numerous smokestacks towered above the street, but none belched out any smoke. With no workers around, the factories sat idle, yet remained well maintained due to the regenerative nature of the Dungeon. On the northeast road, the Survivors found a single manhole which was missing its cover. It had bars which formed a ladder down to the next floor.

"Okay, we've charted our way down. That's enough for one day," said Abel.

 **END OF CHAPTER**


	17. Law 02 - Conversion

Disclaimer:  
DanMachi was created by Fujino Omori. Shin Megami Tensei was created by Atlus. This story uses reference material from them.

 **Demons of the Dungeon  
By: RB3  
Law in Orario 2: Conversion**

Morgana lay facefirst in the bed of Hestia as the goddess mounted him. "Let's see what you've got," said Hestia.

 **Morgana Mona**  
Lv 3 - 4

Str: B - I  
Vit: G - I  
Dex: C - I  
Agi: S - I  
Mgc: S - I

 **Skills**  
Shapeshift  
Miracle Punch  
Scanner  
Mercurius

 **Magic**  
Persona: Zorro  
Garu  
Salvation  
Sukunda (reduce dex and agi of all foes)

 **Dev Abilities**  
Status Resist G  
Mage F  
Magic Resist G

Morgana's new ability was the Sukunda spell. Despite his insistence, Morgana was a cat, an animal that was a predator by nature. Instead of exerting large amounts of energy to chase down prey, he could slow them down instead, making them much easier to catch. "It's a good thing you're on our side," said Hestia. "I wouldn't want to get hit by your new spell and have you chase me."

Hestia handed the parchment for Morgana to examine. "Great!" said Morgana.

"So, how are you liking my Familia?" asked Hestia.

"I feel at home. Everyone's so friendly, but you and Lili fight way too much!" replied Morgana.

"Well, she should butt out! I saw Bell first! He's mine, mine, mine!" said Hestia.

"Sheesh..." remarked Morgana. "Anyways, Bell and Kaz helped me get my bearings, especially Kaz. Thank you for helping me when I needed it."

The Hestia Familia made their way to the Hostess of Fertility, their favourite restaurant for celebrations. The Familia had completed an expedition into F37 of the Dungeon, and got a new member in Morgana, who had reached Lv4. Due to his small size, he had to sit on a child's booster seat in order to reach the table. As they celebrated, Ryu approached to talk to them. "Hi Ryu!" said Bell.

"I heard you have a new member," said Ryu. "It's the strange cat who ate here one day."

"I'm not a cat!" said Morgana. "I have a name you know! It's Morgana!"

"Well excuse me!" said Ryu.

"He's very sensitive about being called a cat," said Bell. "Don't let him get to you."

"So, what's the occasion?" asked Ryu.

"We finally reached F37 and Morgana got a level from it," replied Bell.

"That was quick... Did you fight Udaeus?" asked Ryu.

"No, we only went around fighting monsters," replied Bell.

"I see, so he must have leveled from surviving there. If he was at the top of Lv3 before getting there, I can see how that happened," said Ryu.

As Ryu took their orders, the Loki Familia's officers arrived in the Hostess. They took one of the central tables and started ordering food. "Hey guys!" said Bell.

"Oh, hi Argonaut!" said Tiona. "Fancy meeting you here!"

"Yeah, what's the occasion?" asked Bell.

"We got to the furthest circle of F64," replied Tione.

"Oh, isn't that the Grave of Legends?" asked Kaz.

"Yeah," replied Tiona.

"I hope you aren't scared of ghosts," said Kaz.

Tiona chuckled. "No," she replied.

"Hey, I didn't know you guys were here!" said a voice from another corner. It came from a slender man with black hair and stubble on his chin. He wore chainmail with steel elbow guards.

"Oh, hi Silas! Isn't it your brother's birthday today?" asked Tione.

"Yep, the whole family's here to celebrate," said Silas.

"Happy birthday Josh!" said Finn.

Silas' brother, Joshua Thompson, smiled and waved to his brother's commanding officer from his table. Kaz noticed that Josh was wearing a white tunic with a pale blue, shield-like emblem with a cross in it. These were the markings of a Messian. Judging from his uniform and the blue beret, he was a templar, though a mere low-ranking footsoldier like Silas was for the Loki Familia. Ryu handed his table a plate of oysters, which the group shared with each other.

"His brother's a Messian..." said Kaz.

"Is something wrong?" asked Haruhime.

"Yeah, I'm a bit uncomfortable around them," replied Kaz.

"Yeah, you told us about their history," said Morgana.

"They look like they get along, so I'm probably worried about nothing," said Kaz.

"Don't worry about it. Let's celebrate what we have today," said Bell.

"Sure," replied Kaz.

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The next day Hestia left for the quarterly Denatus. At the round table discussion, Loki's first talking point was the rise of the Messians, led by Father Paul. He was a humble baker from Daedalus Street until the demons invaded Orario, when an angel granted him healing powers. He became a healer and religious leader and went on to found the world's first chapter of Messians. They had done much to help the poor, those most victimized by the demonic invasion.

However, as the Messians grew in number, reports of hooliganism started to surface. Loki spread out several photos on the table. One set depicted the elephant-like statue at the Ganesha home, smeared with eggs, tomatoes, and other rotten vegetables. A second set depicted a graveyard with several smashed tombstones. Had they been intact, the headstones would have borne the emblem of the deceased's Familia.

The last set depicted the lovers statue of Amor Square, which had been smashed to pieces. "They got the Amor statue last night," stated Loki. "Each incident traced back to the Messians. Athena, what does the Guild say about this?"

"According to their statement, they had fined the Messians for each of these acts. Father Paul has written a public apology to the gods. He has begun a crackdown on the perpetrators and will turn them in for punishment," said Athena.

"Hopefully Father Paul will be successful, but it will not be easy. Messian belief is highly intolerant of other religions and dissenting opinions, even among their own," said Titania. "Your Familia need to be prepared from what will come next."

"What's that?" asked Dionysus, a gentlemanly god in violet noble's clothing.

"Violence," replied Titania. The room fell silent immediately. "It may not be against your Familia members directly. We've seen Messians divide into sects and turn on their own, just for having a mere difference of opinion."

"Our Familia have powerful adventurers. Surely we can drive them back if they threaten us?" asked Set, a blond-haired, muscular Egyptian.

"Maybe, maybe not," replied Titania. "The Messians are backed by angels. We're aware that they've empowered certain followers to be able to stand up to your adventurers. If outmatched, the angels will intervene directly, and they are every bit as powerful as the demons."

"How strong are they as a group?" asked Set.

"According to my intelligence, the Messians have nearly 500 followers," informed Athena.

"We'll confirm that number," said Titania.

"That's more than the top three Familia combined!" said Loki.

"Yes, but fortunately, not all of them are warriors or here in Orario," said Athena. "Only about fifty are in Orario who have some form of combat training or special power from the angels."

"How many angels there are in Orario?" asked Loki.

"We're uncertain, but we estimate about thirty, most of which are manageable for a Lv3 adventurer," replied Titania. "They can summon more reinforcements from the Expanse."

"If it comes down to it, can we count on the support of the Babelites against the Messians?" asked Loki.

"Yes, but I must stress that we will not attack them out of the blue," replied Titania. "If they start mass violence, or attempt a coup against Orario, we will step in. We do not want the Messians in control of the city."

"Understood, let's move on to the naming ceremony," said Loki.

Among the newly promoted adventurers were all of Take Mikazuchi's Familia and the Hestia Familia. For these adventurers, their existing aliases were preserved. They eventually reached Morgana Mona. "Oh, how cute!" cooed Freya upon seeing his picture.

"Ooh! So adorable!" cooed several goddesses.

"Let's call him Cait Sith," said Loki.

"Uh, does anyone find it strange that a cat became an adventurer?" asked Set.

"Suit yourself. We could use more cute little cats as adventurers," replied Demeter. "I second that name."

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After the Denatus, Hestia returned home and reported what had happened. "Cait Sith?" asked Morgana.

"Yep, that's what they call you," replied Hestia.

Morgana sighed. "Of all the names..."

"Goddess, is Welf's dinner complete?" asked Haruhime.

"Yeah," replied Hestia. "Please take it to him immediately."

Haruhime took the rectangular tub, which contained teriyaki chicken, rice, and a small salad for his dinner. She made her way over to Welf's shack, which contained his forge and tools. When she knocked on the door, Welf called her in. She put his dinner on a nearby worktable and watched Welf work. She noticed his "defender" two-handed sword hanging on the wall, a gift from Abel and the Survivors. True to its name, it had traits which improved defence, vitality, and parry speed.

"What are you making?" asked Haruhime.

"My new sword," replied Welf. "I learned how to copy the traits from that sword Abel's friends gave me and put them in a new weapon."

"You need to eat dinner. It's gonna get cold," said Haruhime. "Let me keep your forge warm in the meantime."

"Sure, just keep blowing air into my forge," said Welf. Haruhime squeezed the belows, causing them to force air into the open feed. Welf stepped into the nearby room to wash his hands and retrieve eating utensils. He sat at the table and ate dinner, watching Haruhime. She continued squeezing the bellows, blowing air to stoke the flame in the forge. "Good, now use my tongs to flip the sword."

Haruhime took the tongs to fulfill Welf's request and even out the heat. Welf ate another mouthful of teriyaki chicken and rice. Eventually, he had finished his meal. "Thanks for the help. I really appreciate it."

"You must have a lot of work to do," remarked Haruhime.

"Yeah, I'm swamped. After I got those new minerals and weapons, I have a lot of equipment to upgrade," said Welf.

"That's way too much. Would you like me to help you?" asked Haruhime.

"Do you know how to smith?" asked Welf.

"No, but I can learn as we go. If it doesn't work out, I could always help by keeping your forge warm while you ate," said Haruhime.

"So, a partner? Okay, I accept your offer," said Welf.

After helping Welf forge his sword, Haruhime returned to the Familia hall. "Why did you take so long?" asked Hestia upon her return.

"Sorry, I ended up helping Welf forge his new sword," replied Haruhime. "I lost track of time."

"Well, please hurry up and help us clean the kitchen," said Hestia.

As always, business was brisk and demand very high for something that could accelerate an adventurer's growth. Hestia had spilled water and flour on the counter and floor while preparing an order of magic croquettes. Haruhime went to the kitchen with rags, a broom, a mop, and a dustpan. She used the rags to wipe down the table, then a broom and mop to clean the floor. After a few minutes, the counter and floor sparkled with cleanliness. Soon, it was time for bed and everyone turned in.

Hestia lay on her bed, wondering about why Haruhime had come home so late. It was not like her to be so late returning home. It was dangerous on the streets for a girl like her to be out and about. She wondered why Haruhime had developed such a sudden interest in helping Welf at the forge. Then, it hit her. "Oh! So you two are becoming quite the lovebirds now, aren't you? He he he! I think I can help speed things along!" said Hestia mentally, grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

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The next day, the Hestia Familia went to the Pantheon building to consult with Eina. When they entered, they found her attaching posts to a bulletin board. "Hello Eina!" said Bell.

"Hello Bell, nice to see you today," said Eina.

"Yeah, what'cha up to?" asked Bell.

"I'm putting up a missing person poster," said Eina, tacking the poster to the board.

Bell looked at it and saw Silas Thompson's face on the poster. Eina tacked a second poster onto the board, this one with Joshua Thompson's face on it. According to the poster, they had been missing since the night of the party. "So Silas and Josh are missing?" asked Bell as he approached Eina.

"Yeah," replied Eina. "People saw them leave the Hostess and go north down a street in the Smithy District. They weren't the only ones. Just yesterday, I had put in two more posters for missing persons."

"...And this was after his birthday too," said Bell.

"Hmm, I wonder..." said Kaz.

The rash of missing persons had piqued Kaz's curiosity, which caused him as Abel to request a scan of the area for Domains. Their sensors beeped the confirmation of an unknown Domain in the Smithy District, just as Kaz had suspected. It was to the north and east of where Silas and Josh were last spotted by witnesses. Its presence suggested that a demon had kidnapped them and held them hostage.

The Hestia Familia arrived where Silas and Josh were last seen. The area had two smithies flanking the road, both marked by signs of the dual hammers, the emblem of the Hephaestus Familia. The witnesses were smiths who working late. On questioning, they told Bell that they saw the brothers head north, but not what happened after they had left view of the smithies. The Hestia Familia moved north, reaching a dead end in an alley.

"There's nothing here," said Lili.

"This is where the scan told us the Domain was located," said Kaz. "Look around. Maybe we can..."

Before Kaz could finish, the environment suddenly changed into that of a castle interior. They had been pulled into the demon's Domain. Morgana displayed a layout of the area. The castle-like Domain had lookout towers in each of four corners. They guarded a central keep which consisted of three floors and one basement. The Hestia Familia was on its main floor in the grand entrance hall. The basement was the castle dungeon, where prisoners were kept locked in cells.

A patrol of angels came upon the Hestia Familia. The female ones were standard Angels who looked like blue-haired women with wings and dressed in robes. The male ones, Archangels, looked like angelic knights. "Intruders!" cried a female Angel.

The angel patrol advanced and the Hestia Familia drew weapons. Kaz sprayed ice all over the angels, managing to freeze an Angel and an Archangel in place. His Lilim demon zapped the frozen angels with lightning until only ash remained. One of the Archangels dove at Kaz, who sidestepped the attempt to stab him. Kaz hopped away, firing ice beams during his retreat. The Archangel dodged the attacks until Haruhime nailed him in the face with a dark bolt.

A different Archangel generated a wave of heated air. Bell leapt over it, running along the wall to get past it. He lunged at the Archangel and plunged the Hestia Knife into his chest. The Archangel collapsed and disintegrated. An Angel fired a beam of light, which Bell sidestepped. Bell advanced, weaving around more beams. He sped up and slashed the Angel on the way past. She collapsed to the ground in a heap with a cut on her stomach. He sent a Firebolt at another Angel, blasting her to the ground.

Welf parried and grounded another Angel's light beams. An Archangel swooped in for a thrust, but Welf parried. The Archangel tried to chop his body, but got parried again. After parrying a third blow to the abdomen, Welf twirled his weapon and disarmed the Archangel. He stepped in and slashed the Archangel across its chest. The enemy collapsed and disintegrated to nothing. He saw another Angel preparing a holy spell. He exploded the spell into the Angel's own face with Will O'Wisp, knocking her onto her back.

Having crushed the patrol, the hall was empty once again. "They're in the castle dungeon. Let's get there quickly!" said Morgana.

The Hestia Familia travelled down a staircase located at the right side of the hall. They reached the castle dungeon, which was a dark, moist area of cobblestone construction. It was kept in a far lesser condition than the upper floors where people lived. Row of cells extended far beyond the door into the block. When the Familia entered, they found that at least a dozen people were imprisoned, not just Silas and Josh. Most were nameless civilians with no capability of fighting.

When they entered the next room, they found a large chamber with shackles dangling from the walls. It was an isolated room used as a torture chamber for coercing cooperation from prisoners. Silas and Josh were chained at the far wall, being attended by a single angel in red plate armour. The angel was armed with a spear and shield. The angel, known as a Power, charged at Bell, who sidestepped the spear. Bell lunged in return, but was blocked by the Power's shield.

The Power slammed Bell with his shield, knocking him to the ground. Kaz fired an ice beam, which the Power blocked. Lili fired arrows, only to have him block them too. The Power lunged at Haruhime, but was intercepted by Welf. The Power retreated and Welf swung for the neck, but got blocked. Welf evaded a retaliatory thrust, but got rammed by the shield and knocked down. Kaz fired another ice beam. The Power blocked, then suddenly, Kaz turned his aim down, connecting the shield to the floor with ice.

The Power tried to wrench the shield free, but couldn't get it out. Kaz cast Succubus Kiss on the power. The silhouette of a succubus flew to the Power and embraced him. His strength abruptly dropped. Haruhime blasted the Power with a dark bolt, but the angel covered his face and kept hold over the shield. Morgana raced by with a slash to the Power's wrist, finally forcing him to release the shield. He then cast Sukunda. The Power became surrounded by a dark green glow and felt heavier than before.

The Power formed an orb of almighty energy and hurled it. Welf used his sword to try to ground it. The orb proved too unstable, and exploded, hurling him and the rest of the Hestia Familia to the ground. A bit later, Bell arose. Nearby, Kaz started to rise as well. "Back me up Kaz, I'm finishing this!" said Bell.

Kaz nodded, then sent an ice beam at the Power. The angel parried with his spear, holding the freezing attack at bay. Bell hurled an Argonaut-charged Firebolt along the path of the ice beam. The resulting explosion blew up the Power. The Domain vanished without its master maintaining it, leaving everyone standing at the dead end. "Are you okay Silas?" asked Bell, finding the adventurer on the floor, then helping to prop him up.

"I'll manage," replied Silas.

"Those were angels. Why would they want to imprison you and your brother?" Lili asked Josh as she helped him rise to his feet.

"They were upset that my brother is in the Loki Familia," replied Josh. "They didn't like the fact that I associated with someone who followed another god."

"Why?" asked Welf.

"Our God's commandment states that we must not have any other gods before Him," replied Josh. "Father Paul said we should be tolerant of our neighbours' beliefs. He told us that we could not, and must not, force others to accept God. Doing so is to violate the Lord's commandment, to take the Lord's name in vain."

"...But that wasn't how those angels saw things, was it?" asked Lili.

"No," replied Josh. "They were trying to force my brother to convert to Messianism. They tortured me, and made him watch so he would renounce his Familia, but I told him to ignore my suffering."

"We're glad you're okay," said Kaz.

The Hestia Familia helped the falsely incarcerated prisoners flee to the custody of the Guild and the Babelites. These authorities questioned each former prisoner about their experiences in the castle Domain's prison. They learned same things the Hestia Familia had learned from Josh. Word started to spread about the incident, from Guild announcements to the stories narrated by victims such as Silas and Josh.

At a cafe, Hestia and Loki had met with Abel to talk about the kidnapping and forced conversion of Silas Thompson. "This is ridiculous!" said Loki.

"I know," said Hestia. "They're lucky my Familia found them when they did. Who knows what else they would have done to force Silas to convert."

"We feared something like this might happen, but I never expected it this soon," said Abel. "We thought they would just wreck some stuff, things that are more about annoying people than causing any actual harm. I never expected that they would go straight to kidnapping and torturing non-believers."

"I oughta send my Familia in there to bust them up!" said Loki.

"No, please don't!" said Hestia.

"They're looking for any excuse to run wild. Don't fall for it!" said Abel. "The Guild is presenting a joint statement with Orario's Familia and the Babelites to Father Paul. We're telling him that this behaviour will not be tolerated. Anyone caught will be punished to the full extent of the law."

"Alright, we'll play it your way, but if they continue to come after my Familia, I won't hold back!" said Loki.

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"The Pharisees tried to discredit the Lord by bringing a woman who was charged with adultery before him. According to Mosaic law, she was to be stoned for her crime. Jesus thought for a moment, then told the crowd, 'let he among you who is without sin cast the first stone,'" said Father Paul, in white robes and a mitre, standing before his flock in a rented room.

"What did the crowd do?" asked one of his flock. "Did they throw a stone anyways?"

"No actually," replied Cardinal Paul. "The crowd, knowing that they had themselves sinned, did not have the right to judge the woman. They were held back by their conscience and left the woman alone."

"What happened after that?" asked the same person.

"The Lord Jesus asked the woman who were her accusers. She told the lord, 'no one.' The lord replied, 'Then I do not condemn thee. Go, and sin no more,'" replied Father Paul. "When you go out among the people of Orario, remember the words of the Lord. Thank you."

The congregation left the meeting room. Father Paul himself returned to his room to rest and clean up after the sermon. He looked for his face cloth, but found it was missing. The altar boy came in to talk to him. "Sorry Father Paul. We just finished washing your face cloth," said the young Messian acolyte.

"Ah, thank you Ron," said Father Paul. The altar boy left while the cardinal washed his face in the sink using the damp cloth. A knocking came from the door. "Come in."

The door opened and his underling, Reginald Zach, had entered the room. He had also been ordained as a cardinal of the Messians himself, dressed in white robes and a mitre. "Father, what is the meaning of this?" asked Zach. "Why did you turn in those men?"

"They broke the laws of the city," replied Paul. "Vandalism, assault, kidnapping, torture..."

"These people do not follow the Lord's laws. Why should we follow theirs? We only follow the Lord's laws," said Zach.

"Reggie, do I need to remind you of the tale of Jesus and the two thieves?" asked Paul.

"No," replied Zach.

"We would do well to acknowledge our sins, for we are not innocent. According to the Guild's missive, one of those kidnapping and torture victims was one of our junior templars!" said Father Paul. "They are getting upset and will not tolerate this behaviour any more, and neither should we." Zach said nothing. "I've also heard rumours that bother me greatly. They said that you had turned a blind eye while these activities took place. Is that true?"

"No Father," replied Zach. "They are just rumours."

"Okay," replied Father Paul. "I am writing a formal apology to the people of Orario. I'll be keeping a closer watch from now on, to prevent such incidents from occurring again. You'd be wise to do the same."

"Aye," replied Zach.

 **END OF CHAPTER**


	18. Law 03 - Ambassador Cranel

Disclaimer:  
DanMachi was created by Fujino Omori. Shin Megami Tensei was created by Atlus. This story uses reference material from them.

 **Demons of the Dungeon  
By: RB3  
Law in Orario 3: Ambassador Cranel**

Hestia began updates as soon as the Hestia Familia came home. Kaz entered Hestia's room, removed his shirt, and lay on the bed. "Let's see how you've changed," said Hestia.

 **Kazuya Minegishi**  
Lv 4 - 5

Str: F - I  
Vit: S - I  
Dex: SS - I  
Agi: S - I  
Mgc: SSSS - I

 **Skill**  
Mystical Attunement  
Energetic Reservoir  
Dragon Slayer  
Lesser Key (Aura: +stats to party members with the Mage ability or who are supernatural beings)

 **Magic**  
Water Sculptor  
Drain  
Ars Goetia  
Succubus Kiss

 **Dev Abilities**  
Status Resist G  
Mage E  
Magic Resist H  
Spirit Healing I (regenerate mind)

Kaz commanded demons in his true form of Abel. He acted as one of the forces rallying gods, mortals, and demons alike, to resist the invading demons and angels. The Lesser Key skill reflected his nature and efforts, empowering mages and supernatural beings in his party. A supernatural being included demons, demihumans, monsters, and Morgana. It also included gods like Hestia, but they did not go into the Dungeon normally.

She pressed a copy of his Falna onto a parchment and gave it to him while explaining his skills usage. "Okay," said Kaz.

"You're the one trying to get everyone to work together against the demons. This skill is what you got and will help you make them stronger," said Hestia.

"Thank you, Hestia," said Kaz.

When Kaz left, Haruhime came in for her update. She undid her kimono and exposed her back to Hestia. "Let's see..." mumbled Hestia.

 **Haruhime Sanjouno**  
Lv 3

Str: G  
Vit: G  
Dex: E  
Agi: E  
Mgc: B

 **Skills**  
Kokaji (+traits and +quality of product when acting as assistant for smithing)  
Vitality Seed  
Magic Seed

 **Magic**  
Uchide no Kozuchi  
Uga no Mitama  
Kokonoe  
Foxfire

 **Dev Abilities**  
Mage G  
Status Resist H  
Blacksmith I

As a result of helping Welf, she had gained the Blacksmith development ability, the prerequisite for the Kokaji skill she had also learned. Since Welf specialized in stat-enhancing equipment, Kokaji was especially synergistic with his style of smithing. "Ooh!" said Hestia with delight.

"What did I get?" asked Haruhime.

Hestia pressed Haruhime's Falna onto a parchment to read. "Have you been helping Welf maintain our gear lately?" asked Hestia.

"Yeah," replied Haruhime. "I thought he needed my help. It looked like a lot of work to take care of our gear all by himself."

"Thank you. As the goddess of this Familia, I'm glad to know that you are helping another member. It is very much appreciated," said Hestia.

"You're welcome, goddess," replied Haruhime.

"Keep deepening that friendship. I'm sure it will benefit us all," said Hestia. After Haruhime dressed and left, Hestia snickered to herself. "Oh, it will benefit us all right, me most of all. Fall right into his arms, and I'll have Bell all to myself!"

She then called in Morgana, Welf, and Lili in succession to update their Falna, but they hadn't shown any significant changes. "Bell, come in," called Hestia.

"Coming!" replied Bell. Bell entered the room, removed his shirt, and lay on the bed. "How have I grown?"

 **Bell Cranel**  
Lv 4 - 5

Str: SS - I  
Vit: SS - I  
Dex: SS - I  
Agi: SSS - I  
Mgc: A - I

 **Skills**  
Realis Phrase  
Argonaut  
Giant Slayer  
Ambassador (Aura: stat +1 rank for party if non-Familia in party)

 **Magic**  
Firebolt

 **Dev Abilities** **  
**Luck F  
Status Resist G  
Escape H

Bell had met a variety of people in his career as an adventurer. They ranged from people in other Familia like the Take Mikazuchi and Loki, as well as Lili and Welf before they switched to the Hestia Familia. He had befriended the Survivors, key members of the Babelites, a people who could command demons. He had also befriended Wiene, one of the talking monsters called the Xenos. He even befriended Morgana, a Persona user of an unknown cat-like race. Thanks to this diverse social sphere, he had gained the Ambassador skill.

"Wow! With this new skill, you'll make friends even faster!" remarked Hestia.

She pressed a copy of his Falna onto a parchment and gave it to him. "So Ambassador, huh?" asked Bell.

"Yep," replied Hestia. "Your Falna tells me that its an aura ability. That means it only works on people who are close enough to you."

"One step closer... I'm reaching you, Ais. Wait for me!" said Bell.

Hestia could only frown at this display from Bell. "You know, now would be a good time to set up that expedition with the Hermes Familia," said Hestia.

"Yeah, my new skill would be a help to everyone. Thank you goddess," said Bell.

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The next day, the Hestia Familia travelled to the Guild's main office, the Pantheon building. "So, what are the Messians up to now?" asked Lili, as they walked down the street.

"It seems they are gearing up to send their own people into the Dungeon," replied Kaz. "They want to earn more money to maintain their church and fund social programs. They also want to train newly graduated templars as well."

"That seems innocent enough," remarked Bell.

"Yeah, but that means they'll be in the Dungeon with other adventurers. It's the perfect opportunity to attack or kidnap people. The Guild can't intervene and can't punish them," said Lili.

"Not good. I really hope they're only there to monster hunt," said Kaz. "It's going to get ugly very fast if they anger Familia with unwarranted attacks."

"From the looks of some of them, just being in a Familia is enough to set them off," said Welf.

"No kidding," said Kaz, just as they reached the door to the Pantheon.

"Hello Eina. Kaz and I just got to Lv5 last night," said Bell, handing a copy of Hestia's parchment as evidence.

The others handed their Falna sheets to Eina for recording. "Good," she said. She looked over the sheets and analyzed the full capability of the Hestia Familia. "I can now clear you to explore up to F51 of the Dungeon. You should not go any deeper than that."

"Is there something wrong with floors lower than that?" asked Kaz.

"Yeah, F51 to F58 is the Dragon's Vase. Once you get to F52 or lower, the Valgang Dragons on F58 will start sniping at you," replied Eina.

"Wow! They can target someone from that far away?" asked Kaz.

"Yeah, and that's in addition to getting past all the other monsters on the way down," replied Eina. "You'll need to be tougher to manage that."

"You know, you could just drop down a hole and strike at the dragons that way. It beats going through a death trap on the floors between," said Kaz.

"If you had some way of protecting yourself from the flames, yeah," replied Eina. "Otherwise, that's a very reckless tactic."

"Well Eina, thanks for your time," said Bell.

As the Hestia Familia went out, they noticed some posters on the boards. One poster listed the main officers of the Freya Familia, save Ottar. Three of them, Allen Fromel, Hogni, and Hedin, were formerly Lv6. The four Gulliver Brothers were Lv5. Now, the three were Lv7 and the four Gulliver Brothers were Lv6. Along with Ottar, the group had defeated Drahcir Toirag the Lichlord on their latest expedition to F64.

"Wow, the Freya Familia just got a mass promotion!" said Welf.

"Yeah, they're even more of a top dog now," replied Lili. "The Loki Familia has three Lv7 adventurers, but Freya has four. For Lv6 adventurers, they're even."

"We're getting there. One day we'll be strong like that too," said Haruhime.

The Hestia Familia walked out of the Pantheon. "Okay, now that we've done our update with the Guild, we should think about getting that joint expedition with the Hermes Familia set up," said Bell.

"I'll talk to Aisha about that, now that she's with the Hermes Familia," said Haruhime.

"Oh, don't forget, the Babelite camp is on F65. We can go there if we wish," said Kaz.

"Yeah, why not?" asked Welf.

"We'd get stomped on by Lv7 monsters, that's why," replied Lili.

"Actually, that's not as much an issue as before. The Babelites are willing to provide security for the event," said Kaz.

"Will they? That's great!" said Lili.

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Several gods and goddesses lined up to purchase their croquettes. One after the other, Hestia delivered their orders, which had been limited to three dozen croquettes or less. At the end of the line was Hermes, the roguish blond god of travel. "Hey Hestia, how are you today?" asked Hermes.

"Great! Everything seems to be going my way," replied Hestia. "You're just the person I wanted to meet. I wanted to ask you something."

"Sure, let me get my order first," said Hermes. After Hermes boxed his order of a dozen croquettes, he gave a beckoning expression to Hestia. "Well, what do you need?"

"The Babelites want to help Familia train to fight demons and angels. They have been setting up training seminars with various Familia," replied Hestia.

"I know. Aisha has been talking to me about that," said Hermes. "So, you wish to invite us to one of these sessions and expeditions? I really appreciate that."

"Of course, is your Familia willing to go?" asked Hestia.

"Sure, it'll do them some good," said Hermes. "Did you have a place in mind?"

"We were thinking of going to F65 using Babelite portals. The Babelites will deploy people to stand watch in case we get into trouble," said Hestia.

"Isn't this floor one with spawning items?" asked Hermes.

"Mmhmm, if it comes from a store, you can keep it," replied Hestia. "I'll also whip up a batch of my magic croquettes for everyone before they head down to F65."

"Will Welf Crozzo make a special artefact for my Familia too?" asked Hermes.

"Yes, but we don't know what you'll get," replied Hestia. "He'll need a sample of your hair to make it."

"Is there anything else?" asked Hermes.

"Once we finish the joint expedition, everyone will return to the Babelite base. We'll take a picture with all your loot to commemorate the occasion," replied Hestia.

"Okay, I'll float the idea to Asfi and the others," said Hermes. "See ya later and thanks for this opportunity."

Hermes returned to his Familia home with the tub of croquettes in hand. The Hermes Familia home was a wide, brick and mortar inn about four storeys tall with windows and balconies on all sides. It was situated along the main road which lead northeast from Babel. The wooden front doors were marked by the sign of the feathered hat, much like the one Hermes normally wore. It was known as the Traveler's Inn.

The top floor and roof were reserved for the Hermes Familia as a place to rest, relax, and plan Dungeon expeditions. The other floors were left available for public use, which meant the inn actually functioned as a real inn, with people purchasing room and board. It gave the Hermes Familia a second income stream from rental fees. Hermes waved at the reception lady and headed upstairs to the room of Asfi al Andromeda, the captain of the Familia, and a talented maker of magical items.

The bespectacled, light blue-haired woman perked up upon seeing Hermes. He then told her about accepting the Babelite offer. "You agreed to the joint expedition, without consulting me, your Familia captain?" asked Asfi.

"Relax, this is a great opportunity for all of us," said Hermes, patting her on the head. "Don't worry. I'm sure the others will be thrilled to go on this joint expedition."

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After some time to prepare for the event, the Hermes and Hestia Familia made their way to the Babelite base in the Expanse. As this was the first time they had seen it, Hermes and his Familia were in awe of the strange, misty red universe. They also took a great interest in the Babelite base, in its foreign, yet more modern style. Abel greeted them at the toll booth and escorted them the rest of the way to the colosseum.

"What are those stars in the distance?" asked Asfi.

"They're other worlds," replied Abel. "Many, many other worlds."

"It's like we're in outer space," remarked Asfi.

The combined group entered the ziggurat and travelled to its basement. They entered an empty room, which brought them into a pill-shaped colosseum much like an iceless hockey rink. It had numerous bleachers for seating and clear plastic guards to protect the audience from stray shots. Abel's friends were seated at one end of the colosseum by a prominent throne meant for Abel. The flanking sides also had thrones in the front row for gods with nearby seats for Familia officers.

Once everyone was seated, Abel began the event. "Welcome everyone, to this joint training session. In this seminar, you'll learn about demonic resistances and how to respond to them," said Abel.

Demonic resistances were one of the things that made them so dangerous to face. Even the mightiest attacks could be nullified completely, absorbed, or even turned back against its user. Conversely, a mere weakling could devastate even the strongest demon if they could exploit its weaknesses. An attack could take the form of anything from fire and wind, to projectiles, and to weapon strikes. Discovering a weakness usually involved trial and error, requiring the presence of mind to change tactics if current attacks failed.

Abel summoned an Asura into the arena. He was a red-skinned man with three heads, six arms, and a fierce expression on his face. Abel called for a volunteer to face the Asura in battle. Hermes immediately pinched Asfi in the butt, causing her to jump out of her seat. "Ow!" she blurted, glaring at Hermes.

"Thanks Asfi! Please enter the arena through the double doors," said Abel.

"I'm gonna get you for this!" said Asfi.

"Use whatever weapons you need from the racks and boxes," said Abel. Asfi picked up a wooden dagger and some grenades while the Asura declined to take weapons. "Begin!"

A buzzer sounded and the Asura charged in with several blows to Asfi's stomach. She took two before successfully escaping to the side. Despite the force, she could tell the creature was holding back, pulling his punches to avoid seriously injuring her. Asura kept his blows aimed low at the body, enough to stagger her, but not take her out of the fight completely. She threw vials at the creature, which exploded in bursts of flame and smoke. When the smoke cleared, the Asura was still there, sucking in the flames.

A round-ending whistle sounded. "Okay that's the round. Now, can we have two more volunteers to join Asfi for the next round?" asked Abel.

The tiger man warrior, Falgar, entered the arena with Lulune, a chienthrope with frizzy black hair. Falgar grabbed a wooden tower shield and a longsword, while Lulune grabbed twin daggers. Even Asfi took the time to change weapons. During the battle, she had noticed that fire attacks were ineffective. The Asura had absorbed them, as demonstrated by her previous grenade attack. She returned the fire grenades to the crate and replaced them with ones of other elements.

The three Hermes Familia members stood side by side, waiting for the match to begin. Once the buzzer sounded, Falgar moved into the path of the Asura. The Asura reached Falgar's shield and started punching, despite his blows being blocked. The blows strained Falgar, as they came in fast, despite the Asura pulling his punches. Lulune tried to come in from the flank, but got noticed. He turned and threw body blows which forced her back. Falgar slipped in for a sneak attack, connecting to the torso.

The Asura was unfazed and retorted with body blows to Falgar. After taking one, Falgar got to safety behind his shield. Lulune managed to sneak up on the Asura and jab him with daggers, but he was unfazed. "Fire in the hole!" cried Asfi.

The two retreated before she hurled a grenade at the Asura. It exploded and sprayed a cloud of ice upon the area. The Asura got frosted over and stunned momentarily. He broke through the ice, only for Asfi to hurl another pair of grenades. They exploded, staggering the Asura with electricity. The buzzer sounded the end of the round. "Good work everyone," said Abel.

The training continued with various members of the Hermes Familia getting a chance to fight demons. Their last sparring match involved the entire Familia versus clones of various angels, ranging from the basic Angel to the Virtue. Falgar and the shield bearers formed a line to stop the advance of the Power and Virtue, an angel which resembled a gelatinous blue statue with a heart visible in its stomach.

The Power thrust his spear rapidly, but Falgar kept blocking the attacks. When the angel tired, Falgar swung for the torso, staggering the angel. After another blow to the head, he had felled the angel. The Principality maintained distance in the air, until a volley of grenades knocked him down. Lulune pounced on the angel with multiple stabs. Despite her vicious attack, the Principality still had the resilience to kick her off. After it got up, a female Hermes member, Tabitha, wound a whip around his neck and strangled him.

One by one, the Hermes Familia turned the tide and rode it to the angels' defeat. "Good work everyone. It's time to present your new artefact," said Abel.

Welf brought in a staff-like object made of mythril. It had a pair of open wings, two snakes entwined around it, a cup on top, and a stand on the bottom, making it much like a lamp. It was called the Great Caduceus of Hermes. It accelerated the development of speed, dexterity, and magic for Hermes Familia members. Under its effects, it was possible for his Familia to reach SS rank in these stats. However, it needed to have magic crystals fed into the cup on its top, otherwise it would shut down, and all benefits would be lost.

"Lord Hermes, please accept this to commemorate this meeting," said Abel.

"Thank you, Lord Abel," said Hermes.

Yuzu snapped a picture of Abel presenting the Great Caduceus to Hermes. After a day of rest, the Hermes and Hestia Familia gathered at the portal station outside Orario. They took the portal to F65, emerging in Sunstone City. After a day of scouting to get their bearings, the combined expedition moved to the northwest to find a second town, Bard's Tomb, on the edge of a forest. The Hermes Familia went from shop to shop, looting the town for useful items.

The next leg of their journey took them south, through hills and another pair of forests. As the expedition approached a bridge, nearly two dozen monsters to started to spawn from the ground. They ranged from hellhounds to almiraj, enemies that were common on F13 - F17. Falgar and the front line closed ranks to block the hellhounds' fiery breath. Lulune dashed to each rabbit's left flank and cut them down. Bell did the same for the right flank.

"That was easy," remarked Lulune. "They felt like Lv2 monsters."

"Yeah, this floor starts you off with the weaklings, but the tougher ones start coming out the deeper we go in," said Lili.

"Don't lose focus," said Asfi.

After crossing the bridge, they went through hills and more forest. They hugged the shoreline as they travelled south. Another group of enemies emerged from the water. This time they were blue crabs, equivalent to a Lv3 adventurer. Kaz fired ice beams at the beasts while the Hermes frontline shifted to cover the flanks. The crabs charged and banged against Hermes Familia shield bearers led by Falgar. Falgar took a swing, cracking a crab's shell.

"Fall back! Let them take ground!" cried Asfi.

The entire body of adventurers retreated closer to the edge of the forest. The crabs left the water as Asfi hoped they would. Kaz then iced their legs with frosty mist. All of the crabs were frozen in place. The Hermes' prum mage, Meryl, cast a Riwo Flare, blasting the crabs with a cone of fire. All of them were incinerated instantly. After the supporters claimed the magic stones, the combined group crossed another bridge.

They passed through more forest and hills, until they entered the desert. They continued east until they found a town. After the Hermes Familia looted it of valuables, the combined group rested for the night at the inn. They cooked steak, potatoes, and vegetables for their meal and sweet, red bean magic croquettes for dessert. The meal filled them greatly and the croquettes empowered the Familia upon consumption.

"Mmm, these are great!" said Lulune, biting into a red bean magic croquette.

"I'm glad you like them, Lulune," said Bell. "Goddess Hestia took great time and care to make them for us."

"Hi Bell!" said Aisha, finding Bell seated with Lulune.

"Hi!" said Haruhime, who had arrived with Aisha.

"Oh, hi guys!" said Bell.

"You two seem to know each other quite well," remarked Lulune. "Oh, you're Nine-Tailed Fox! So, Aisha, is this your friend Haruhime?"

"Yeah," replied Aisha. "When we were still in the Ishtar Familia, I took care of her. She's grown so much since then."

"Say, Haruhime, what kind of weapon is that?" asked Lulune. "How can it shoot dark bolts? Is it a magic sword?"

"Kinda," replied Haruhime. "Its power is based on my magic power."

"Oh, okay, so it's half a magic sword. I see... If the person doesn't have good magic, then it's not very useful to them," said Lulune. Haruhime nodded affirmatively. "How did you get it?"

"Lord Abel's friends found it as a drop of a Floor Boss from F64," replied Haruhime.

"I think Dodon found an item like that after searching a weapon store in Bard's Tomb," said Lulune. "Meryl will get it for sure. My magic sucks."

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After resting in Desert Town, the expedition started packing extra water and equipment suitable for a desert. Morgana started scanning the area with help from Kaz's magical detection capability. They pointed out the location of three Valgang Dragons south of town. Two illusory firebirds and a Lilim flew to the dragons and started pelting them with fire and lightning. The fiery red dragons tracked their movements and tried to breathe fire in return, but could not land a clean hit.

Kaz crested a dune and fired ice beams. The beams tore open wounds and left ice patches on their skin, causing severe pain. The dragons noticed the group and roared with ferocity before charging. One of them paused to rear back to breathe fire. Welf detonated the gathering flames with Will O' Wisp, causing the dragon to blow its own head off. The other two reached the Hermes shield bearers and started butting against the wall of shields.

The second reared back to breathe fire, prompting Welf to raise his sword defensively. The flames funnelled to the blade and dissipated. The dragon was puzzled. Asfi leapt up and hurled needles into its eyes and those of the third dragon. The ensuing explosions blinded them and left them reeling. Lulune hopped onto the back of the second dragon and proceeded to stab it in the neck. Blood seeped from the creature and it unleashed a death scream, leaving behind a sizeable magic stone after vanishing.

Tabitha wrapped a whip around the third's neck and pulled. Welf went to its legs and hacked them, causing the creature to stumble. Lili and a fedora-wearing elf named Thane stuck half a dozen arrows in the third dragon's throat. As it reared back in pain, the frontline shield bearers shoved it, toppling it over. Falgar and a heavily armored man named Golmeth proceeded to hack the creature with swords. The other shield bearer, a female dwarf named Elilly, helped by pummelling the dragon with dual shields.

The creature gave out under this relentless assault and left behind a magic stone. "Good work, everyone! This is the first time we've faced Lv5 monsters, and high end ones at that, yet we won. Let's keep it up!" said Asfi.

The Hermes and Hestia Familia cheered. Morgana scanned for another monster and found a squad of six Ill Wyverns. These green, flying dragons were circling the forest to the east. They were apparently searching for something, but unable to find it. The firebirds and Lilim started shooting fireballs and lightning bolts at the wyverns. As expected, the Ill Wyverns broke their search to retaliate against the illusions and demons.

Kaz and Morgana combined powers to start a whirling snowstorm in the sky. The wyverns were slapped in the face by clumps of snow, blinded completely. Thane and Lili stuck arrows into the side of one wyvern, leaving it reeling. One of the illusory firebirds blasted its wing with a fireball. The wyvern crashed to the ground, where Aisha charged in. She sliced it across the abdomen, then leapt on and gouged out its neck to secure the first kill.

Two of the wyverns were so overwhelmed by the snow that they were forced to land. They shook off the snow and found the expedition advancing on them. Bell sent a Firebolt at the first, staggering the wyvern. Thane and Lili stuck arrows into its body, but the wyvern seemed unfazed. Meryl unleashed her Riwo Flare, scorching the wyvern in a cone of flame and stopping its movement. It collapsed and burnt to ash.

Welf landed a clean slash to the second wyvern's ribs, causing it to roar in pain. Falgar and the shield bearers shoved the wyvern until it toppled, then proceeded to hack the downed creature to death. "More coming from the air!" cried Asfi.

Haruhime cast Foxfire into the sky. It burst outward igniting the last three wyverns. Their wings were seared to uselessness and they were forced to land. One landed on its feet near the front line, who pivoted to greet it. It clashed against the shield bearers, who held the creature back. Bell and Lulune hopped onto its back and sliced it up. It collapsed and fell dead. Kaz shot the second with ice, freezing it solid. Thane and Lili then stuck arrows into its body. Meryl completed a chant and incinerated the wyvern with Riwo Flare.

The third attempted to breathe fire. Welf grounded the flames, protecting his team. It tried to charge the frontline, but the shield bearers dug in and halted its advance. Welf got to its flank and stabbed the creature in its abdomen. The wyvern roared in agony. After Welf slashed its hind legs, a pair of prum warriors pounced on and started hacking away. The wyvern shook them off, but the shield bearers successfully pushed the creature down. Welf and the prums hopped on and hacked the monster to death.

"Good work," said Asfi.

Suddenly, the ground started to shake. The sand started to part and a massive Valgang Dragon started to arise from the hole. "That dragon's a Lv6!" said Morgana.

"Don't be discouraged. There's only one. We can take it," said Asfi. "Surround it."

The expedition fanned out to receive the dragon. It roared, then charged the shield bearers, who dug in and stopped it. It abandoned its charge to back away, then reared its head back to breathe fire. Welf detonated the attack with Will O' Wisp. The explosion caused the dragon to stumble back, where Morgana formed a tornado around it. The dragon tried to fight through the fierce winds to reach the frontline.

Kaz sent a succubus silhouette to kiss it, causing it to lose strength, as well as ground. He then put an ice patch beneath its feet. The dragon started to wobble, but Tabitha entwined her weapon around its leg and yanked it down. Bell, Lulune, Aisha, and other agile warriors leapt onto the dragon and started to pummel it. Despite opening several cuts, the dragon shook them off and got up. Lili and Thane stuck several arrows into its body, but the dragon was not fazed.

As Meryl and Haruhime started to chant spells, the dragon reared back to breathe fire. Welf raised his sword and funnelled all of its flames to his weapon. He dug in, straining to hold up this defence until the attack had dissipated completely. Asfi hurled explosive needles at the dragon's throat, searing its neck. "Spell incoming! Clear the way!" cried Asfi.

The expedition cleared a path for Meryl to unleash Riwo Flare. Its cone of flame washed over the dragon, staggering it with agony. Haruhime unleashed Foxfire, igniting the dragon with ethereal blue flames. Bell charged Argonaut and then put it in a Firebolt aimed for the dragon's head. It blew off completely and the headless dragon collapsed, its body burned and vanished, leaving behind a giant magic stone. The expedition cheered at their victory.

 **END OF CHAPTER**


	19. Law 04 - Martyr

Disclaimer:  
DanMachi was created by Fujino Omori. Shin Megami Tensei was created by Atlus. This story uses reference material from them.

 **Demons of the Dungeon  
By: RB3  
Law in Orario 4: Martyr**

Victorious on F65, the Hermes and Hestia had returned to the Babelite base. Abel identified each item as it got set up on a table for a commemorative photo. The first major item was a fire rod, a small wand set with a ruby. This weapon tapped into its wielder's mind to shoot fireballs with a power based on the user's magic rating. It also enhanced any other fire spells cast by the user. This item was reserved for Meryl, who mainly used fire magic as the Familia mage.

The second was a hooded green cloak called an evasion cloak. It improved the wearer's agility and by extension his or her ability to dodge attacks. Asfi had a claim on this cloak, both to use and as a sample with which to create duplicates with her Mystery development ability. The third was a pair of books. One was a grimoire and reserved for Meryl to learn new a spell. The other was a new item, a yellow book, one never before seen. It was a skill manual, which taught the reader a skill. This was reserved for Falgar.

The last few items were simply stat seeds and a set of various potions and chunks of ore. Once the Hermes Familia's had been arranged properly. The Hestia Familia, Hermes Familia, and the Survivors gathered around the table at the centre of the arena for a group picture. After the flash, they separated. "Thank you, Lord Abel, for this wonderful opportunity," said Hermes, shaking hands with Abel after the flash faded. "My Familia and I appreciate this."

Everyone departed home after taking the commemorative photo. As the Hestia Familia passed by the entrance of the Dungeon, they saw more than a dozen Messian templars and their angel allies gathered outside. "Yes sir!" replied the knights and angels to the orders of their commander.

"So, they're starting their own expeditions," remarked Lili.

"Hey, Josh is with them!" said Kaz.

When the commander parted, the Hestia Familia waved at Josh, who returned the gesture. Unfortunately, Josh had to leave as he was under orders to enter the Dungeon. Silas came up to speak with them. "Hey guys! Did you just finish an expedition?" asked Silas.

"Yep, we just got back from one with the Hermes Familia. We hit F65 really hard," said Bell. "I see you're doing well."

"Yeah, those angels roughed Josh and I up, but not bad enough to put us out of action," replied Silas. "We took some time to recover and we're good as new."

"What happened after that?" asked Welf. "Did they find out who was responsible?"

"Father Paul investigated and turned those lowlifes responsible for torturing us over to the guard," said Silas.

"Who was calling the shots?" asked Lili.

"Now, these are only rumours, but a lot of people suspect that Cardinal Zach knew these things were going on, yet let it happen. Cardinal Zach denied all this, of course, and there was no proof, but the rumours are there," replied Silas.

"So this Cardinal Zach might be to blame?" asked Kaz.

"Yeah, he's a hardliner. They're upset that Father Paul is willing to make peace with 'pagans,' which is what we call those who worship other gods," replied Silas. "Anyway, I have chores to do for my Familia, so I must be on my way. It was nice seeing you."

"You too. Take care," said Bell.

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Hestia embraced Bell the moment he and the rest of her Familia returned home. She began updates immediately to see the progress they have made. While Bell and Kaz had already gotten levels, their stats had increased such that most of their ratings had a "G" rating. The ones who most interested her were Welf, Lili, Haruhime, and Morgana. The first of them to arrive for a Falna update was Morgana.

 **Morgana Mona**  
Lv 4 - 5

Str: B - I  
Vit: G - I  
Dex: C - I  
Agi: S - I  
Mgc: S - I

 **Skills**  
Shapeshift  
Scanner  
Miracle Punch  
Mercurius  
Beaufort Scaling (+ wind damage, lift and blow away victims more easily)

 **Magic**  
Persona: Zorro  
Garu  
Salvation  
Sukunda

 **Dev Abilities**  
Status Resist G  
Mage E  
Magic Resist F  
Spirit Healing I

Morgana got the Beaufort Scaling skill since his primary means of attack was to blast monsters with wind magic. Hestia pressed the parchment onto his back to create a printout he could read. "You gained regenerating magic power and stronger wind magic," said Hestia.

"Yeah, I'm the only person who can say monsters will go down simply because I blow on them too hard," said Morgana. Hestia chuckled as Morgana left the bedroom. Welf came in after Morgana, removed his shirt, and lay on the bed for the goddess.

 **Welf Crozzo**  
Lv 4 - 5

Str: A - I  
Vit: A - I  
Dex: B - I  
Agi: B - I  
Mgc: D - I

 **Skill**  
Crozzo Blood  
Heart Container  
Strength Seed  
Spell Grounding

 **Spells**  
Will O' Wisp +

 **Dev Abilities**  
Blacksmith D  
Mystery F  
Two-Handed G  
Magic Resistance H  
Healing Power I (regenerate health)  
Strong Defence I (reduce physical damage taken)

Welf had advanced to Lv5 and gained two new development abilities in Healing Power and Strong Defence. These abilities were perfect for Welf as he was primarily a tough, frontline fighter who defended his party. Hestia pressed a parchment and gave it to him. "Healing Power and Strong Defence? Great! I get banged up so much," said Welf. He left and allowed Lili to enter, remove her top, and lay on the bed.

 **Liliruca Arde**  
Lv 3 - 4

Str: H - I  
Vit: G - I  
Dex: S - I  
Agi: D - I  
Mgc: C - I

 **Skills**  
Alter Assist  
Monster Drop +  
Mind Arrow (empower arrows with mind for +damage)  
Dexterity Seed  
Agility Seed

 **Spells**  
Cinderella +

 **Dev Abilities**  
Status Resist G  
Shooter G  
Mixing H

Although Lili occupied a vital niche as the Familia's main supporter, she still wished to contribute more directly to the Familia's combat capability. Since her upgraded Cinderella risked exhausting her mind, the only other option she had was to focus on archery. However, her current weapon, an arm-mounted crossbow, was no more potent than a little kid's slingshot. She needed a way to increase the weapon's power.

As Hestia described the skill to Lili, she pressed a copy of her Falna onto a parchment for her to read. "Ah! This is just what I wanted!" said Lili

"You should ask Welf to make you a stronger crossbow. You've outgrown that old one," said Hestia.

"I will, thank you, goddess," said Lili, who put on her shirt and left. Haruhime came in, undid her kimono, and laid on the bed.

 **Haruhime Sanjouno**  
Lv 3 - 4

Str: G - I  
Vit: G - I  
Dex: C - I  
Agi: C - I  
Mgc: S - I

 **Skills**  
Kokaji  
Magic Seed  
Vitality Seed

 **Spells**  
Uchide no Kozuchi  
Uga no Mitama  
Kokonoe  
Foxfire  
Yata no Kagami (create 3 false images of target to draw damage)

 **Dev Abilities**  
Mage F  
Status Resist G  
Smithing I

Haruhime's new spell was Yata no Kagami, the Eight-Handed Mirror, which was used to lure a Far East sun goddess out of hiding. This spell put an enchantment around a person which appeared as a coating of translucent, sparkling diamond to allies. Any foe who looked at the person would see four identical images of him or her, of which only one was real. Each false image could only absorb a certain amount of damage before it shattered like glass. This spell provided another layer of protection for her party on top of Uchide no Kozuchi.

Hestia gave Haruhime a copy of her Falna readout. "Oh!" said Haruhime, putting on her kimono.

"Yeah, this is a great spell to protect my Familia. They'll be glad to know you have this," said Hestia.

Some time after receiving updates from their gods, the members of the Hestia and Hermes Familia went to the Hostess of Fertility to celebrate their successful expedition. The restaurant had filled up with members from these Familia, feasting on turkey while washing it down with ale. The Familia members laughed as they recounted stories during their trip into the Dungeon. At the head table were Hestia and Hermes with their most prominent Familia members.

"People are talking about you now," said Hermes. "They say you're a rising star."

"They are?" asked Hestia.

"Oh yes," replied Hermes. "Hestia has Lv5 adventurers now. That's high level and even the Little Rookie can't be considered a rookie anymore. He's right up there with top dogs like the Sword Princess."

"I'm nowhere near Ais' level yet," said Bell humbly. "I still have a long way to go."

"Don't put yourself down Bell," said Hestia. "You've come very far since we first met. There's nothing to be ashamed of."

"Rising stars huh?" asked Lili.

"Yep, it's the croquettes and your efforts to stop the demons," said Hermes. "They say your Familia will be the next to join the top tier with the likes of Loki and Ganesha."

"I'm curious to know, who else are the big up-and-comers?" asked Kaz.

"Quite a few," replied Hermes. "I've heard the Take Mikazuchi, Dionysus, and Kratos Familia among others. Even mine is getting up there too."

"Let's call a toast, to future success and a strong, prosperous Familia!" said Hermes.

The people at the table raised their glasses and clinked them together. "Cheers!"

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The Survivors descended the manhole in the industrial district of the Times of Orario. The ladder, a mere set of bars connected to the concrete, descended into what appeared to be a cave. Numerous firefly-like insects provided a bioluminescent green light that enabled the group to see. They followed the caves to a forest outside, vibrantly green with a fresh natural smell. After sending out demons to scout the area, they discovered that they were at the Beol Mountains, north of this floor's version of Orario.

The Survivors flew south to find F71's version of Orario. Many of the buildings had been smashed from an unknown previous disaster, but at least half were in the process of being restored. These ones had scaffolds and tools nearby for workers to perform their duties. Those that weren't being restored were either piles of rubble on the ground, or had portions blasted off. Even Babel Tower was being built, or rather rebuilt, as there was a hole in the ground which left the Dungeon entrance exposed.

Everywhere, they could see the shapes of monsters or shadowy adventurers wandering the town, but no actual people. "Is this a preview of what's to come?" asked Abel.

"It's horrible!" said Yuzu.

"The Dungeon entrance is open. That must be the way to the next floor," said Atsuro.

"Yeah, let's look around a bit more, before we go down," said Abel.

Yog flew the Survivors around the False Orario and saw other landmarks being just as deteriorated as the rest of the city. The Hestia Hall was nothing more than rubble strewn around its base, surrounded by more ruins of Greek architecture from old Orario. The same was true of the Hostess of Fertility, which no longer had signs to identify it. Pantheon, the Guild building, had been burned to the ground and nothing remained except charred beams of wood.

After taking a tour, the Survivors landed by Babel Tower. Half a dozen random monsters rushed at them. A fomoire, a goat-headed, Baphomet-like creature, swung its club at Atsuro. He caught the weapon, wrenched it from the fomoire, then swung it in a fatal arc right for the fomoire's head. A dark fungus sprayed a cloud of toxic spores, but Yuzu created wind to blow them back. The wind continued forth and bowled over the dark fungus. She then formed a tornado which shredded it until only a magic stone remained.

Midori ignited a flowering, man-eating plant monster known as a titan alm. The vine stalks writhed in agony as the flames seared through and left nothing but ash in its wake. A green dragon spewed flame at Abel, who blocked it with a violet magic barrier. He then spawned vines from the ground which wrapped around the dragon and squeezed its jaws shut. The vines continued to squeeze until the monster expired and left behind its magic stone.

After Atsuro shattered a Spartoi Elite with a punch, the Survivors gathered the magic stones and regrouped. "Good, now we can go on," said Abel.

"Monsterphilia is coming soon," said Midori. "I'm very excited."

"That's not for another two weeks," replied Atsuro.

"Yeah, weren't you going to participate?" asked Abel.

"Yep, I've got Hector going up against Harry in a Hecatonchires versus Hecatonchires battle," replied Midori. "I want to train him for the fight."

"When it starts, let's all go together," said Yuzu.

"Sure!" replied Midori.

After collecting the stones, they climbed down the hole where the Dungeon would be. Instead, they traversed a lengthy tunnel which led down, across, then back up into F72. They found themselves in the middle of a jungle in the south part of the floor. The crystals above provided the only light and skyline for this Primordial Land. They sent out demons to scout until they found a cold tundra to the north. That was where the demons located the stairs down.

The Survivors took a flight to the north. As they passed overhead, they saw various dinosaur-like monsters moving about the ground. They included a stegosaurus, a brachiosaurus, and even a tyrannosaurus rex. All of these creatures were gigantic compared to a human. Some of the monsters included prehistoric life such as smilodons and even cavemen. As they moved to the tundra, which they dubbed the Pleistocene Tundra, they noticed mammoths moving along the ground.

Eventually, they found a group of cavemen who had a group of smilodons trapped in nets. "Let's fight them as a test," said Atsuro.

"Sure, we could use the exercise," said Abel.

Yog released his passengers beside that group, which quickly noticed their presence. They drew clubs and spears and rushed the team. Atsuro caught a club meant for his head. "These guys have got some strength behind them, but not enough to take us," remarked Atsuro.

Atsuro crushed the club, then unleashed a flurry of punches upon his attacker. With a final uppercut, he launched the caveman into the air, to land in a bank of snow. Viola sidestepped the thrust of a spear, then charged in and cut down its wielder. Tulzcha spewed green flame at a third caveman, turning him into ash. The caveman watching the smilodon abandoned his post to enter the fray. He tried to stab Atsuro with a spear, but Atsuro sidestepped and retorted with a punch to the jaw.

The smilodons managed to slip out of their nets and one attempted to pounce on Abel. Abel formed a vine from his hand and caught the tiger's neck. He then swung that smilodon into the other members of its pack, before whipping it against the ground. "They mostly do physical attacks, its seems. I didn't see any magic at all," said Abel.

After collecting the magic stones, the Survivors continued onward to a mountain in the northern part of the area which corresponded to the Beol Mountains. They landed to search for the cave entrance with the tunnel down. They found such a cave in a valley on the southwest. It was in approximately the same location as the earlier Beol cavern from the upper floors. The ground started to shake and a figure emerged from the snowy ground.

It was the largest mammoth of the floor, being almost four times as large as a standard one. It also had snow white fur instead of brown. Oddly enough, it also wore a red cover its back which had golden, Indian floral designs on it. "What is that thing?" asked Yuzu.

"Floor Boss!" said Atsuro.

"We'll call him Airavata," said Abel.

Airavata trumpeted in rage and charged. The group scattered to avoid being trampled beneath the rampaging mammoth. Airavata started spraying ice and snow from its trunk, simulating a roaring blizzard. The group was covered in snow, but not deterred. Yog rained orbs on it, bumping the mammoth and punching craters in the ground. Airavata emerged from the attack and spit ice at Yog, knocking him back.

It then charged at Hector, who responded by punching it repeatedly. "A-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA! A-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA!" he screamed, in time with his punches.

Airavata kept trying to force his way through, but the blows came in so fast and furiously that it was literally stopped in its tracks. Bruises and welts started to form over its body. With a final blow between the eyes, Hector had sent the mammoth to the ground. However, Airavata was not yet ready to quit. It righted itself and sprayed a massive blizzard at Hector which blew him out of the entrance of the valley.

"Hector!" cried Midori.

A righteous rage filled the bespectacled girl. A massive flame surrounded her body, which she expelled as a devastating stream. Airavata took the stream full force, which exploded and covered the entire valley with flame. When the flames cleared, Airavata's midsection had been seared away, leaving behind only charred flesh. It toppled and split in half, disintegrating as it collapsed and left behind a massive boulder of a magic stone.

"Whew!" remarked Atsuro.

"Remind me not to get her mad," said Yuzu.

Midori went to Hector's side, who was shaking off the snow. He had suffered some frostbite from full contact with the ice attack. She started to heal her companion with magic. "Hector thanks you," said Hector.

"You're welcome. I'm glad you're okay big guy," said Midori.

The others came to check up on Hector. "Is he okay?" asked Yuzu.

"He'll be fine. Just a bit of rest and he be back as new," replied Midori.

"I'm going to call it quits right now. The stairs down are just up ahead, behind where we first bumped into Airavata. Let's not risk Hector any more before his big match," said Abel.

"Okay, thank you," said Midori.

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During the night, Father Paul retired to his new home near Daedalus Street. It was a simple two storey brick building south of the new cathedral of the Messians. He kissed his wife upon passing through the door and went to his bedroom to remove his cumbersome robes. Father Paul felt relieved to get out of those heavy things and into lighter, more comfortable street clothes. After sitting in the den to relax, the Paul family went to bed.

A shadowy figure ran through the darkness of the city of Orario. As it entered the grounds of the Grand Cathedral, a dog started to bark and growl. This figure, a blonde woman, spotted the dog to her right and killed it with a single stroke of her sword across the neck. She continued on her way, but a few minutes later, a guard came by, carrying a bone-shaped treat for the dog. When he found its blood-covered corpse, he ran off to alarm the entire Messian compound.

Templars soon took to the streets in search of the intruder. The blonde reached Father Paul's home just as a templar started knocking loudly at his door. "Father, open up!" cried the knight.

The blonde descended upon the knight. He spotted her, but before he could draw his sword, he had been cut down. The blonde leapt to the second floor and smashed through the window. Paul and his wife were shocked and quickly ran out of the room as fast as they could. Father Paul pushed his wife into the hallway just as the blonde cut into him. "Run Martha!" cried Father Paul from the ground, before falling silent.

The blonde pursued the wife down to the first floor, where she sliced her across the back. The wife fell to the ground covered in blood. Her work done, the blonde ran out the door, only to come across a Messian templar looking over his dead comrade. The templar drew a sword, locking weapons with the female assassin. With a flick, the Messian knocked the sword out of her hand. The Messian templar thrust at her, but she sidestepped and leapt onto the house. She then bounded away into the darkness of night.

The next day, Bell and Lili went to the Pantheon. Lili carried with her a bag full of magic stones garnered from the Dungeon expedition with the Hermes Familia. As she exchanged them at the teller, Bell noticed that a new poster had been put up on the bulletin board. It was a picture of Ais, with the word "banned" over her face. She had been accused of killing Father Paul, along with his wife, a Messian templar, and a guard dog last night. As demanded by the Messian Order, the Guild had blacklisted Ais for the crime.

"Ms. Eina how did this happen?" asked Bell, pointing to the blacklisting notice.

"Ais had broken into the Messian compound last night. After killing the dog and the templar, she entered Father Paul's home and killed him and his wife. One of the templars found the dead guard and caught her leaving Father Paul's home. He managed to disarm her before she got away. The Messians showed us her sword with the blood of the dead victims on it. It was pretty much an open and shut case," replied Eina.

"No way! Miss Ais would never do something like that! I refuse to believe it!" said Bell.

"Well, she did. I guess you don't know the real character of a person until its too late," said Eina.

"Don't tell me you believe this? This has to be a mistake, a trick of some kind!" said Bell.

"The Messians found her sword. That's pretty convincing," said Lili.

"I've gotta find her!" said Bell.

He ran off to find Ais. "Hey Bell! Wait!" cried Lili.

Bell ran to the Loki Familia's home, the Twilight Manor, in the very north part of town. The castle-like abode stood above the rest of the buildings in the neighbourhood. When he got to the gate, the guards stopped him. "Please let me through! I need to speak with Ais Wallenstein!"

Ais, who was sweeping the grounds nearby, noticed Bell outside with the manor guards. She went to the gate. "Please let him in," said Ais.

The Loki guards moved aside to comply with her request. "Thank you, Ais," said Bell.

Ais took Bell to a nearby bench where they sat to discuss the murder. "Ais, please tell me, you didn't do it?" asked Bell.

"No," replied Ais. "I'm innocent. Please believe me Bell!"

"I do," replied Bell. "What were you doing before the attack happened?"

"I was resting in the Familia home," replied Ais.

"Resting? Were you tired?" asked Bell.

"Yeah, we went into the Dungeon about three days earlier to train some of the lower level members," said Ais. "My sword was getting dull, so I gave it to Goibniu for maintenance. He told me he would have the work done by tomorrow morning. The next day after breakfast, I went to get my weapon. He told me that I already took it and paid him for the work."

"Huh? Did you forget or misplace it somehow?" asked Bell.

"No, I remember it clearly. I ate breakfast, then walked over to Goibniu's forge," replied Ais. "When I asked him, he told me I had come in an hour earlier and took my sword back. I had to commission a new one as a replacement."

"It must have cost a lot to replace it," remarked Bell.

"99M Valis," replied Ais.

"Wow! I hope the repairs weren't that expensive!" said Bell.

"Just 10M Valis," replied Ais.

"Okay, that's a bit better," said Bell. "What happened after that?"

"He gave me a new sword to use while I was waiting for him to forge a new Desperate. Then, the murder happened and I got blacklisted from the Guild," said Ais.

"Okay, thank you for telling me," said Bell. "I'll do everything I can to help you."

"Thank you. If you can clear my name, I'll be grateful," said Ais.

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Bell made his way back to the Hestia Hall, where the others were waiting for him, discussing the situation around a table. "Where were you?" asked Welf.

"I went to talk to Ais," replied Bell.

"You mean Ais Wallen-what's-her-face?" asked Hestia.

"Yeah," replied Bell.

"Did Ais tell you anything that could help clear her name?" asked Welf. Bell simply told everyone what Ais had told him. "If what she says is true, then someone got her weapon from Goibniu before she could fetch it?"

"So, an impostor?" asked Morgana. "What? Did someone put on a wig and pretend to be Ais?"

"That isn't as farfetched as you might think. There are lots of ways you could fool someone into believing you were Ais," said Kaz. "There's magic like Lili's and demons with shapeshifting and illusion-casting powers."

The Hestia Familia members cast a glance at Lili. "Not me! I had nothing to do with this!" said Lili.

"A female relative or a look-alike could be mistaken for her as well," said Kaz.

"Have you and your friends seen any of those kinds of demons around?" asked Welf.

"As the Masked Mage, I did clean out a succubus nest right around the time you met Haruhime. Succubi can impersonate people easily, but I'm sure I got 'em all," replied Kaz. "They aren't the only kinds of demons that have that ability."

"So we can't rule it out," said Hestia.

"Nope, and it would be easy to blend into a crowd with such powers," said Kaz.

"This person must be rich too, otherwise, how could she afford the repairs?" asked Lili rhetorically. "If not, then someone is sponsoring her, someone who really wanted Father Paul dead or hated Ais greatly."

"Maybe both," said Haruhime.

"The more I think about it, the more questions I come up with," said Welf.

"Yeah, let's talk about this later," said Kaz.

"Isn't the next Monsterphilia coming soon?" asked Haruhime.

"Yeah, I want to go to Monsterphilia!" said Morgana. "I've heard so much about it. You get to see monsters up close. The Ganesha Familia puts on shows where they try to tame them."

"Okay, let's all go together," said Bell.

 **END OF CHAPTER**


	20. Law 05 - Road to Monsterphilia

Disclaimer:  
DanMachi was created by Fujino Omori. Shin Megami Tensei was created by Atlus. This story uses reference material from them.

 **Demons of the Dungeon  
By: RB3  
Law in Orario 5: Road to Monsterphilia**

Abel and Hecate met at the cafe just outside of the Pantheon building. Two disposable cups filled with hot chocolate lay on the table, piping hot steam into the air. The goddess of magic had asked the King of Bel to meet and speak about current events. "Hello Hecate," said Abel.

"Hello Lord Abel," said Hecate. "I'm glad you could come. Let's get down to business. I have a problem in my Familia."

"What kind of problem?" asked Abel.

"One of my Familia members has been sneaking out and meeting with some suspicious people. His name is Jason Shepherd. We don't know who he's meeting, but when I caught a glimpse of them, I didn't like the feeling I got," replied Hecate. "I had my spies tail him, but they always lose track of him north of the Hestia Familia home."

"What's he doing there? Do you know?" asked Abel.

"We suspect he might be contracting out his demon summoning abilities. We've seen him purchasing things like goat blood, chalk, and candles," replied Hecate.

"Now this is interesting. I take it he was not authorized to do that," remarked Abel.

"Oh no! Not at all," replied Hecate.

"Strange... We never detected any demon summoning in that area," said Abel.

"All this was happening a week before Father Paul got murdered," replied Hecate.

"Are you suggesting Jason might be involved in some way?" asked Abel.

"I don't know for sure, but I think you should follow up on this as a possible lead," said Hecate.

"Okay, thanks for the tip," said Abel.

Back at the Hestia Hall, Hestia woke up for the day and made herself presentable. A doorbell rang and on the other side was Kaz. "Oh! Hi Kaz!" said Hestia.

"Hi," said Kaz. "Listen, I just got done talking to Hecate earlier this morning as my true self. She told me about a Familia member of hers who has gone rogue. She suspects he might be a person of interest in Father Paul's murder."

"Okay, Morgana is fetching Welf. They'll be here soon," said Hestia.

"I'm also calling in my friends. My true self is waiting for them over by the entrance to the Dungeon," said Kaz.

After a few minutes passed, Welf and Morgana arrived at the front door of the Hestia Hall. Hestia admitted them in and the entire Familia heard what Kaz had to say. "Should we go there and check things out?" asked Bell.

"Yes," said Kaz. "That's why I came to get you. My friends are coming soon, so let's secure the place before they arrive."

"Can you detect anything unusual over there?" asked Lili.

Kaz focused with his magical senses. "A lot of magic had been used in that area recently, but it's very scrambled," said Kaz.

"What about you, Morgana?" asked Bell.

Morgana started to probe the area. "I see a staircase leading into the basement, but I can't see anything beyond. Something is blocking me," replied Morgana.

"Okay, let's check the place out," said Bell.

The Familia geared up for battle and made their way to the location reported by Hecate. It was a colosseum from old Orario, which had long since fallen into disuse. The columns and bleachers were crumbling and many had already collapsed into rubble. The Hestia Familia entered the building and found a lobby area for admitting people into a show. The tables were covered in dust, both from the outside and fallen pieces of the roof.

Suddenly, a trio of shadowy humanoid beings arose from the floor! Two came from the left and right flanks and took on the appearances of Welf and Bell. The last appeared behind and turned into Lili. "Wh... What are these things?" asked Lili.

"Doppelgangers!" replied Kaz. "I should have known..."

The three Doppelgangers focused on their counterparts, creating a mirror match. The others could not tell which was real and which was fake as they moved about. "Who do we attack? I can't tell who's real and who's fake!" said Haruhime.

One Welf tried to slash the other, who parried. "Avoid magic and press the attack, even if it hurts yourself!" cried Kaz.

"What will that accomplish?" asked one of the Lilis.

"Trust me, I have a plan," said Kaz.

One of the Lilis fired arrows at her counterpart. When the arrows approached the second Lili, they exposed a once invisible yellow barrier, which redirected the arrows back to the first. Kaz promptly fired ice at the second Lili, freezing the Doppelganger solid. Welf made a slash against his counterpart, getting his attack reflected and cutting himself. Kaz promptly froze the Doppelganger solid, leaving it helpless. Haruhime and Morgana pulled the real versions of their friends aside and started applying first aid to them.

The two Bells traded slashes that were parried. One Bell threw a roundhouse kick. Just before connecting, the second Bell manifested a yellow barrier. The first received the force of his own blow on the cheek and got sent to the ground. Kaz suddenly latched wispy violet tendrils onto the second, sucking out its energy. He then donated the stolen power to the real Bell Cranel. His bruise started to recede, as did the stinging pain.

"Sorry about that! I needed you to identify the fakes for me," said Kaz, helping Bell off the ground. He then froze the unconscious final Doppelganger in a block of ice.

"I knew that," replied Lili.

"I'll stand guard here and wait for the others to secure the Doppelgangers. I'll follow once they're here," said Kaz.

The other members of the Hestia Familia descended a flight of stairs in the room behind the ticket counter. They found a men's locker room for those who participated in shows. The lockers and benches had been moved to the walls, leaving open space on the ground. A pentagram had been written on the ground in blood. There were a set of brass stands with small braziers placed around it. A red drape with a similar pentagram of golden thread hung on the wall at the head of the room.

Welf looked at one of the walls, then knocked on it. He found a crack which exposed the wall's interior, which was a bright silvery metal. "Mythril plating," he said, tapping it to hear a high-pitched "ting" sound. He peered around inside the crack. "It looks like it's all around the room."

"No wonder you couldn't scan this area, Morgana," said Lili.

"Yeah, they put tinfoil all around it. Now that I'm here, I can detect that magic sigil saw a lot of use for summoning," said Morgana.

"Whoever was here went to a lot of trouble to cover their tracks," said Haruhime. The Survivors came down the stairs and looked at the scene before them. "Oh, hi guys!"

"Hi Haru!" said Yuzu.

"Hi!" said Midori.

"Hello," said Abel. "Yeah, this is a summoning ritual site. Did you find anything?"

"There's mythril in the walls," replied Welf, pointing to an open crack.

"Ah, I see..." said Abel, looking at where Welf's finger was. "So that's why no one found out about this area."

As the Survivors photographed the area, Bell looked in the nearby washroom. He found a black cloak hung on the wall. He called in Abel to examine it. "Do you detect anything?" asked Bell.

"Yes, residual magic from the summoning. We can trace it back to the source," said Abel, who could see a faint trail of crimson mist about the cloak.

The massed group returned to the ticket lobby. Morgana formed a group with Abel, Welf, and Haru. They stayed behind to guard the ruined lobby and catch the owner if he or she decided to come back. The others fanned out across the city to find any locations with the same crimson magic signature as the summoning circle. Morgana reported their first hit at the Hostess of Fertility. Bell went to this location and found Ryu sweeping the floor.

"Hello Bell, you're here quite early," said Ryu.

"Yeah," replied Bell. "We're looking for someone."

"We're on the trail of a person who was illegally summoning demons, possibly to commit other crimes," continued Kaz. Lili nodded. "We believe he might have entered your restaurant. Did you see anyone come in recently who seemed suspicious?"

"Hmm... Not that I can recall," replied Ryu.

"Okay, thanks for your help," said Kaz.

The trio stepped outside the Hostess to consult with each other. "Did you detect anything?" asked Lili.

"Our target was here, but he probably just grabbed a meal and left," replied Kaz. "I did detect another trail leading away. Let's go."

Kaz followed the crimson trail through a side street to the main northwest road. They continued until they found the Dian Cecht pharmacy, where they turned to the south and then the west down the back streets. They came upon a small business run by a local witch named Lenoa. The trail went in, then out again, suggesting that the target had entered to make a quick purchase. They continued on and found a blonde-haired man with curly hair in plain clothes walking down the street.

The crimson trail led directly to him. "There he is!" cried Kaz.

The man looked behind, which revealed his face briefly. He bolted, forcing the trio into giving pursuit. The man ran down winding alleys and back streets trying to shake them off. Morgana had established a lock onto him and tracked his every movement. He ran up to a fence and climbed over it. Kaz reached the fence, but was slower in scaling it. When he finally got over, Bell and Lili had started to climb it.

The others started to converge on the location. Yuzu flew westward on the back of Vidofnir and saw the ruckus caused by the pursuit. She saw Bell's group round a corner, then looked around and found the man running down the street ahead. She immediately leapt off her mount and landed in the man's path. He quickly turned a side street, eluding Yuzu. When Bell's group arrived, she directed them down the street to her left.

She then leapt onto the roof of a building using air magic as a boost. From there, she continued to pursue the man, using her high vantage point to keep him in sight. The man rounded a right corner then came face-to-face with Midori. He turned around and saw Atsuro standing there. He took a right and entered the main west street of Orario. Yuzu leapt from rooftop to rooftop, getting ahead of the man before dropping down to block his path.

The man looked around and saw that the others were converging on his location. He pulled a knife, getting ready to face them. "Don't try it," said Yuzu, forming whirling green air around her hands.

The man glanced around, agonized by his decision. He chose to discard his knife and raised his arms in surrender. Abel appeared and pinned his arms with vines. Atsuro patted him down for other weapons and removed two more knives from his waist and right ankle. "Thank you for your help," Abel told Bell and friends. "We are going to grill him for information."

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Back at the Hestia Hall, Bell and Hestia were hard at work, preparing the next batch of magic croquettes for a customer. Bell kneaded the dough and put the sweet red bean paste filling on the centre. He closed up the dough and rolled it into a cylindrical shape and placed it on a baking pan. Hestia took each dozen and placed them in the magic oven for cooking. "Phew, that's all of our orders for the day," said Bell.

"That's it," said Hestia. "You know, Monsterphilia is coming again."

"Yeah, I remember what happened last year. That silverback got loose and started chasing us all around town," said Bell.

"I got you your new knife and you used it to defeat the gorilla," said Hestia. "Since Monsterphilia's coming up again, why don't we go together like last time?"

"You mean, like a date?" asked Bell.

"Sure!" replied Hestia.

"Okay," said Bell. "We didn't get to enjoy it fully because of that gorilla. Let's make up for lost time."

"Hey!" cried someone from the other room. The two looked and saw that it was Lili. "What's this I hear about a date?"

"Lili, the goddess and I want to finish up our..."

"No way you're going there without inviting me!" said Lili.

"Hold on! Bell made me a promise. We didn't finish our last date at Monsterphilia," said Hestia.

"So? I want time with Bell! We hardly get to spend time without fighting monsters!" said Lili. "I want to do something peaceful with him for once."

Haruhime entered the hall after fetching some groceries from the local store. She noticed the bickering between Lili and Hestia. "Calm down everyone, calm down," said Haruhime. The other two girls scowled at her. "Eeee!" squealed Haruhime, taken aback by the raw hostility emanating from them.

"We'll all go together," said Bell. "That way, everyone can enjoy. It's not like only two of us can go there."

"What about you, Haruhime? Did you want to go to Monsterphilia?" asked Hestia.

"Yeah, I wanted to ask Bell," replied Haruhime.

"Oh no you don't! Bell's already going with me!" said Hestia. "You know, come to think of it, no one is going with Welf. I think you should ask him to go with you. He must be pretty lonely."

"Okay," replied Haruhime. "We've been doing a lot of smithing together."

"That reminds me, what are you and Welf working on right now?" asked Bell.

"We're upgrading your Pyonkichi. We're also making custom pieces for Kaz, myself, and others," replied Haruhime. "You'll see them soon."

A few days passed and Welf and Haruhime called the Hestia Familia to present their new works. Their first piece was Pyonkichi Mk 6, an upgrade to Bell's light armour. It was made using adamantite, one of the hardest metals known in the mortal world. It was as light as the previous versions, yet retained previous traits and even increased its protectiveness. Bell took it and donned the armour in the neighbouring room. It was a perfect fit.

"Thank you Welf, I really appreciate it," said Bell.

"Glad you like it. Haruhime and I worked hard to upgrade it," said Welf.

The next piece was a blue brigandine dubbed the Manta Mk 1, which was meant for Kaz. It was made with mythril and adamantite, for defensive strength and improved ease of magic use. In addition to increased defence versus all forms of attack, it protected against status ailments due to the Moly herb used in its construction. Welf and Haruhime also added a trait which enhanced all basic stats, both for improving his magic and for defence when Kaz got caught into close quarters.

"This is awesome!" said Kaz, examining the brigandine. "Thanks guys!"

The last set of armour were silver bracers fitted for Morgana, Lili, and Haruhime. They were made with adamantite and mythril and enhanced the wearer's basic stats. They were known as the Fox series of bracers for those who couldn't wear armour, like mages. They formed a protective aura around the wearer, though it was not as strong as true armour. The three donned their new bracers and examined them.

"I feel safer already. Thanks a lot!" said Morgana.

The last two items were a dagger and a crossbow. The dagger was meant for Morgana and had a blue, eye-like gem on each side of its guard. It had a silver blade from the mythril used in its construction. This weapon enhanced the wielder's magic, as well as his ability to parry blows, similar to the trait on Welf's new sword. When Morgana held it in his hands, he held it like a sword rather than a dagger due his small stature. The weapon was known as the Ojos Azule.

The last item, the Little Crossbow, was meant for Lili and was an upgrade to her Little Ballista. "Thanks! This will help for our next expedition," said Lili.

"Did you make anything for yourself?" asked Bell.

"Yeah, I made myself a new set of mail armour with traits similar to Pyonkichi," replied Welf. "I upgraded my sword a while back, so I'm good on that end."

"Let's go to the Dungeon and test our new equipment," said Bell.

"Sure, where did you have in mind?" asked Welf.

"How about the Dragon's Vase? Eina has cleared us to go there," replied Bell.

"I don't want to miss Monsterphilia because of an incident in the Dungeon, so no further than F51," said Lili.

"Okay, let's do it," said Welf.

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The Hestia Familia found themselves exiting a portal to F50, the second safe zone of the Dungeon. With the arrival of the Babelites and their portal system, a second town like Rivira had taken root in this area. Random individuals had constructed cabins made from wood gathered from the local trees. The Babelites had set up a small base enclosed by chainlink fencing topped with barbed wire as a guard post for the nearby portals.

The Hestia Familia descended to F51, the first floor of the Dragon's Vase stratum. The walls were made of granite, but arrayed in straight hallways with perfect ninety degree corners. They appeared much more artificial than the more naturally formed earlier floors of the Dungeon. F51 was relatively safer, as the fire-breathing Valgang Dragons on F58 could not snipe them here. This floor was also the home of Cadmus, the dragon Floor Boss, but he only spawned in a very specific spring that could be avoided.

The Hestia Familia looked around the floor and soon came upon their first monsters, a herd of thirty black rhinos. The creatures did what they knew best and charged at the team. Kaz put an ice patch in their path. Once they blundered into it, the front ones slipped and collapsed. They fell in a heap, creating a blockade of bodies which stalled the momentum of the rest. Kaz conjured a blizzard, freezing two of the downed ones in blocks of ice.

Lili shot arrow after arrow at the wobbling, barely standing ones. She planted two into the head of the furthest rhino. It collapsed dead and left behind its magic stone. She shot another two arrows into a second rhino, felling it as well. Realizing they were vulnerable, some of the rhinos tried to build speed for a charge. They slipped on the ice and fell again. Haruhime's two Ill Wyvern illusions swooped down and snatched a rhino each from the ground to rip apart.

As Bell and Welf moved in to engage, Morgana detected monsters coming their direction. "More monsters incoming from the left! Deformis Spiders!" announced Morgana.

"I'll help you hold them off," said Haruhime.

The spiders crawled along the roof of the floor from a side passage. When Haruhime saw the first enter her sight, she blasted it with a dark bolt. Killed instantly, the spider dropped its magic stone to the ground. Another replaced it and fired webbing at Haruhime, who evaded. Morgana hurled a tornado its way. The green tornado overtook the spider and tore it to shreds. Another fired webbing at Morgana, who blocked it with his arm.

"Morgana!" cried Haruhime as he was yanked towards the spider.

As he went up and forward, Morgana extended Ojos Azule. The spider realized its mistake and tried to sever the webbing, but it was too late. Morgana's momentum took the blade into the spider. Morgana dug it deep into the monster's flesh, tearing vital internal organs. With its death, the spider fell to the ground, with Morgana descending moments later onto his feet. He cast a Sukunda upon the other spiders. A dark green aura reduced their speed sharply, like time being slowed for them.

They tried to advance on Kaz, who easily evaded their telegraphed attempts to shoot webs. Kaz's summoned Lilim blasted the spiders with lightning bolts. Kaz moved close. "Are you hurt?"

"Just my pride," replied Morgana. "That takes care of the spiders. We just need to clean out the rhinos now."

Welf slashed at the rhinos, cutting down two of them with his first strikes. Another charged at him, but he quickly hopped away. It overshot him and stopped, wondering where he went. Welf came from behind and sliced it in half. Bell evaded a second charging rhino, slicing across its side as it ran past. The rhino stumbled into a stop, only to take a Firebolt on its exposed side. A third came at Bell, but he somersaulted over it and impaled its back.

Kaz washed the magic stones together with water for Lili and Haruhime to collect. "So, how are my new toys working?" asked Welf.

"I love'em," replied Morgana. "The knife saved me from the spider and I feel my magic has gotten stronger just from having it."

"Yeah, same with the Fox Bracers," said Lili.

"...And the Manta Mk1," said Kaz.

"I'm glad you appreciate them," said Welf.

After making several rounds of F51, the Hestia Familia turned in for the day with a sack full of magic stones. After cashing them in for Valis and dividing the proceeds, Bell returned home with Hestia's cut. The next day, Hestia travelled to Hephaestus' forge with a large sack of Valis. "Hello Hestia, what brings you here?" asked Hephaestus.

"I've come to make the last payment on Bell's dagger, 5M Valis," announced Hestia.

Hestia presented her friend with a bag filled with coins. Hephaestus counted the money, finding that the amount was legitimate. "I see... Thank you for paying me back. I was worried that you were going to forget," said Hephaestus, securing the payment in a safe in her office.

"Is that anyway to think of your friend?" asked Hestia.

"Friend? You've been a moocher, to be honest," replied Hephaestus.

"Way to rub it in..." said Hestia.

"Yeah, but that's in the past. Now that your debt is paid off, we're even now," said Hephaestus. "You and your Familia have changed so much. You've done well for yourself, Hestia."

"We worked very hard to get where we are. We got a lot of help from Abel and the Babelites, so we're thankful to them for it," said Hestia.

"Yeah, we're grateful for your efforts in stamping out the demons. These Messians seem no different. I know you'll go up against them eventually. When it comes down to it, beat 'em up good for me!" said Hephaestus.

"Thank you Hephaestus," said Hestia. "I must go home now."

"Goodbye Hestia," said Hephaestus.

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On F65, Wiene flew across the vast forest southwest of Rainfall Village, which stood in the northeast region of the floor. She admired the beautiful greenery of the land. The Babelites had provided the Xenos with a paradise they could live in until the day everyone was ready for coexistence. This verdant forest grew a bounty of deliciously sweet fruit which could satisfy anyone's tastes. She noticed a series of yellow, berry-like fruit growing on a tree below. She landed on the branches and saw that it was the honey cloud fruit.

The honey cloud were soft to the touch. They leaked out a purple juice with even the slightest squeeze. They were noted for being overbearingly sweet, like putting a mass of honey into one's mouth. Thus, consumers of honey cloud usually pulped it and mixed it in water to dilute it and make a cocktail. Nevertheless, the honey cloud fruit was full of important vitamins which rounded out a diet. The Xenos loved eating this fruit and regularly sent gatherers like Wiene out to pick more.

Wiene was licking her lips as she plucked the fruit from the trees. After filling her basket, Wiene was about to fly back when she noticed something glinting in the distance. She flew closer to the object and saw what looked like a small boat on the water. It carried a group of four people who were dressed in armour with rugged clothing underneath. Apparently, they had slipped past Babelite security and trespassed in the Rainfall region.

Wiene flew back and informed Lyd of this sight. "I'm glad you told me. We're heading out to arrest these men. Contact the Babelites and inform them of this incident," said Lyd.

"Okay, be careful. I don't like the look of these people," said Wiene.

"I will, just make sure to get the message out," said Lyd.

Lyd called a dozen of the Xenos to his side. They donned armour and prepared weapons for an inevitable confrontation with the intruders. The Xenos travelled to the southwest forest, where the intruders were expected to make land. The Xenos eventually found the four men unloading a crate of supplies. Their supplies included tents, food, and other items meant for exploration. If these men discovered the location of the Xenos Refuge, they would spread word of it and draw attention to it.

On Lyd's command, the Xenos jumped out of the bushes and surrounded the men with weapons trained on them. "Drop your weapons and surrender!" ordered Lyd.

The men froze momentarily to consider their options, then complied. The Xenos quickly tied up the unidentified men and covered their eyes with blindfolds. They led them to clearing where a group of armed Babelite soldiers waited to take them into custody. The Babelites loaded the men onto a Roc demon and flew the men back to a portal. They led the men to a prison on the surface in Orario, and closed the cell door which sealed them in.

 **END OF CHAPTER**


	21. Law 06 - Monsterphilia Riots

Disclaimer:  
DanMachi was created by Fujino Omori. Shin Megami Tensei was created by Atlus. This story uses reference material from them.

 **Demons of the Dungeon  
By: RB3  
Law in Orario 6: Monsterphilia Riots**

At Kaz's apartment, he had two plates of bacon and eggs on the table for him and Morgana to eat as breakfast. The meal sizzled with oil and filled the air with a savoury scent. The two consumed this meal with a glass of milk, then ate various fruit such as the honey cloud as their dessert. It was a tasty meal which would sustain them until they could get unique food from vendors at Monsterphilia. After the meal, they met the other members of the Familia at the Hestia Hall.

"Yeah, everyone's here. Let's go!" cried Bell, into the Hestia Hall's door to inform the others.

Hestia, Haruhime, Welf, and Lili formed a group with Kaz and Morgana and travelled down the street. As they walked down the street, they saw several banners which advertised Monsterphilia. "Guys, I just got some news from my friends. You know that summoner we caught a few days ago? Well, it turns out that this guy was quite dirty," said Kaz.

"What did you find?" asked Bell.

"Lots of money laundering, contracts to employ demons as assassins to kill VIPs," replied Kaz.

"Was Father Paul one of them?" asked Bell.

"We haven't confirmed that yet, but we've confirmed that some of the victims were Messians," replied Kaz. "Also, there was an incident with our friends on F65."

"The Xe..." began Bell, before catching himself. "What happened?"

"Some unidentified men tried to sneak into the Rainfall restricted zone in a small boat. Our friends caught them and handed them over to the Babelites. They're being questioned," replied Kaz.

"Friends? What do you mean?" asked Morgana.

"Let's talk telepathically," replied Kaz.

"Okay," said Morgana, continuing their conversation in telepathy. "What were you talking about?"

"The Xenos," replied Kaz telepathically. "They are monsters who can talk like you or I. Our first meeting was with our friend Wiene in the Dungeon. It was before you joined, during our demon seminar with the Hecate, Take Mikazuchi, and Miach Familia."

"Oh, I see. Why all the secrecy and how did they end up in F65?" asked Morgana.

"After we rescued Wiene, we were contacted by Ouranos to help them. He wants coexistence between the Xenos and the mortal world, but that wasn't ready to happen yet. Adventurers were getting too close to one of their villages in the middle floors. If they found it, they'd massacre the Xenos. We had to lead them to a safer area where they wouldn't be bothered," replied Kaz.

"Ah, so you led them to F65," said Morgana.

"Yes," replied Kaz.

"If Ouranos knows about them, who else does?" asked Morgana.

"The Babelites, the Take Mikazuchi Familia, Hecate Familia, Hermes, and Ganesha," replied Kaz.

"Ganesha? Oh! So does that mean Monsterphilia is a way of getting people ready to meet the Xenos?" asked Morgana.

"Yeah," replied Kaz. "Please don't let anyone else know this information, for the Xenos' protection."

"Of course, your secret will be safe with me," said Morgana. "If those men were exploring the restricted area, that's not good."

"No, that's why we've detained them," said Kaz. "Let's not worry about this for now. Let's just enjoy Monsterphilia."

The Hestia Familia reached the main area of the celebration, the Colosseum at the east end of Orario. Although the major events had not yet started, many people had arrived to take in the sights. Several concession stands had been set up around the Colosseum. Some sold food and snacks. Others were carnival games for the people to play such as tossing balls to hit a target for points. On a nearby stage, a band played music to entertain guests.

The Hestia Familia split up to enjoy the attractions before the main show started. Hestia and Lili took Bell to a nearby vendor to order crepes. To fill their order, one of the chefs smeared batter in a circle over the hot iron. Once it was solid enough, he placed vanilla ice cream, bananas, strawberries, and chocolate syrup on top. He folded it into a cone-like shape and presented it to Bell on a paper plate. After he paid for it, the three of them shared this sweet dessert on the grass nearby.

Welf and Haru approached one of the vendors who ran a carnival game. The game's goal was to hit a small bull's eye with a set of balls. Prizes were determined by how often one could hit the target. Welf paid the fee of ten valis, which allowed him three throws. Welf made the first throw, but went too high and to the right. His second was a direct hit on a target, knocking it back in its holder. The last undershot and went under the target.

Welf received a small teddy bear as his prize, which he gave to Haruhime as a gift. "Thank you!" said Haruhime.

Kaz and Morgana found the area where the monsters were being kept. It was a zoo-like area with rows of cages. They went from cage to cage, looking at each monster. On one row, the display included a baby dragon, a silverback gorilla, and a bugbear. On another row, there was a lizardman, a vouivre, and even a lygerfang, which was a white, tiger-like smilodon. After touring the displays, Morgana went to get some fish and chips, taking Kaz along for the ride.

When the Hestia Familia met back at entrance to the Colosseum, the Survivors had also arrived to watch the show. "Hey guys!" said Yuzu.

"Oh hi!" said Haruhime.

"Nice of you to come by!" said Welf.

"The show's about to start. Midori is taking part. Let's go," said Atsuro, joining the flood of people filing into the Colosseum.

At the arena, a toned Indian man in a red elephant mask stood at the head of the Colosseum. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to this year's Monsterphilia. I am Ganesha, your host for this event. We've got lots in store for you! You'll see my Familia tame the terrible beasts which lurk beneath the ground! This year, for the first time ever, you'll see a demon versus demon battle, live, between a pair of Hecatonchires! Please sit back and enjoy this year's Monsterphilia."

The show opened with a performance by musicians and dancers. The band played a joyous tune while the female dancers showed grace and skill in performing their twirls and leaps. The second act was bucking baby dragon. A man in cowboy garb held onto his saddle with one hand while the baby dragon bucked furiously to toss him off. Despite the best attempts of the baby dragon, the cowboy succeeded in staying mounted.

The next act was performed by a tamer armed with a whip. The Ganesha Familia released a bugbear into the arena. The tamer made the monster somersault through a hoop suspended nearly six feet above the ground. Next, he held up boards forming a simple math equation. He had the bugbear solve to the equation "2+2." The bugbear looked over an array of cards on the floor and grabbed one with the number "4" on it. The crowd clapped cheerfully.

After a few more acts, the last one started with workers clearing the arena and Babelites setting up a protective magic seal. Hector and Harry appeared in the arena for their big match. "Here it is, the main event!" said Bell.

Once the bell rang, Hector and Harry charged at each other. "A-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA!" cried Hector, in time with dozens of strikes being thrown. Harry blocked most of them, but two of them slipped through his guard to reach his chest, while a third got to his chin.

Harry corrected his defence and blocked another dozen blows. He drove a left knee to Hector's gut, breaking the onslaught. He then threw a right to the chin, knocking Hector back further. Hector hurled blasts of violet, almighty energy, which Harry blocked with the palms of his hands. Harry dashed forward and unleashed his own flurry of punches. Hector blocked some and hurled his own counters between blows.

Harry blocked the counter strikes, then moved in with a power-packed punch. Hector sidestepped it, then kicked Harry's legs from beneath him. Harry rolled away from an attempt to stomp him and got up. The two closed and Harry threw dozens of punches. In between, he threw a left side kick, which rattled his foe. Harry scored another dozen punches, then bowled over Hector with a stream of energy. Suddenly, the round ending bell sounded.

A large, regal Asura King separated the two fighters. The judges assigned points, unanimously declaring Harry the winner. "Wow! What a way to end the first day!" said Ganesha. "I, Ganesha, am here to announce the end of shows for today. Thank you and enjoy the rest of the event."

The audience started to file out of the Colosseum. "Wow, that was incredible!" remarked Bell.

"Yeah, that was amazing! Did you see how Harry kneed Hector out of those punches? Amazing!" said Welf.

"Yeah, I loved how Hector dodged the punch, then caught Harry with the leg sweep," said Kaz.

"I wouldn't want to fight any of them myself. They both look tough," said Morgana.

After they exited the Colosseum, Lili noticed that a crowd had gathered around the area where the monsters were kept caged. The people were Messians, some of which were dressed in white garb with the blue shield and white cross emblem. The Ganesha guards had formed a line between them and the monster pens. "Down with monsters! Monsters quit Orario!" they chanted, along with other slogans hostile to monsters.

"Messians," remarked Lili. "They're protesting Monsterphilia."

"This is ridiculous," said Welf, turning away from this display.

The Hestia Familia returned home for the evening and nothing out of the ordinary happened. For the next two days, the Familia simply enjoyed the events. They watched a bullfighting event where a Ganesha toreador provoked a bull-like monster to run through his red cape. The Ganesha even pitted a pair of minotaurs against each other in hand-to-hand combat. One wore a red loincloth while the other wore a blue one. After minute into the fight, after several exchanges, the red minotaur landed a power-packed punch to the jaw of his rival.

The blue minotaur collapsed and had a referee complete a full ten count on him. "The winner is red!" said the announcer.

As the events winded down, the sun started to set and the Hestia Familia returned home. Back at the monster pens, the Messians continued to protest and shout hostile slogans against the Ganesha Familia. One of the boys in the crowd decided to hurl rocks at the Ganesha, who were packing up and moving the wheeled monster cages to shelter. One of rocks came dangerously close to hitting a worker, who glared at the boy, who ran away.

The Ganesha towed the last cage into the tent. The connecting ring suddenly snapped from the stress of the towing. The cage rolled back, towards the gathered crowd of Messians. They scattered, but a Messian man and woman got run over by the cage. "You son of a bitch!" cried one of the Messian men in the crowd.

"Get 'em!" cried another man, grabbing a rock and hurling it at the Ganesha Familia. It was an act the crowd emulated, with them hurling stones, food, and whatever else they could get a hold of. Some of the crowd tried to rush the workers, but the Ganesha security formed a line which kept them at bay.

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Elsewhere in the city was a large lot filled with many members of a Familia training. Some of them lifted barbells as part of a strength training regimen. Another group punched bags to perfect their boxing technique. Yet another group performed squats and push-ups. These people were members of the Kratos Familia. As a god, Kratos represented strength. All of his Familia members had some degree of muscularity and tone befitting their Familia's ideal.

Some of the trainees were stray female demons who had been recruited into the Familia. They were known as Yaksini. They were toned, athletic women with purple skin and black hair. They went topless and only wore jewellery and a short skirt with wavy white and red stripes. Two of them sparred with dual wooden swords. A third lifted a barbell over her head and held it there. Her muscles tensed greatly, as it was more weight than she was used to lifting.

After a five second count, she put the barbell down. "Awesome Pari!" cheered a bald, shirtless muscleman. This man was Kratos himself, god of strength and the head of this Familia.

Another person present was the Familia captain, a man with stubble, a scar across his cheek, and brown hair. That man was Mord Latro. Mord was one of the adventurers caught on F18 when the Black Goliath dropped in and started terrorizing the area. He had been cornered by numerous monsters and was about to be killed until Bell intervened. Everyone joined forces to fight a desperate battle against this menace, who could regenerate from even the most severe wounds.

"Awesome babe! That was more than half a ton," said Mord, pulling Pari in for a kiss.

Pari tightened her embrace around Mord. "I'm glad that you could see me do it," replied Pari, kissing her man.

However, a group of Messians had passed by the area and saw Mord's romantic moment with his Yaksini lover. "Yuck!" cried one of them. "You're letting a demon kiss you?"

"Oh, piss off!" replied Mord. "I landed myself a hot babe. Who cares if she's a demon?"

"Demons must die!" said the Messian.

He started to hurl stones at the couple. Mord shoved Pari out of the way to protect her. Although he blocked most of the rocks, one of them managed to graze his face. "Oh, you'll pay for that!" cried Mord, rushing the Messian.

Seeing the Messian get punched to the ground, his friends surrounded Mord and started punching him. For mundane civilians, they hit surprisingly hard, enough for Mord to feel it. Mord hurled punches randomly into the mob to extricate himself from the melee. A distance away, a barbarian with blond hair named Guile did one repetition with his barbell. His friend, a rogue with brown hair named Scott, had watched the barbarian work out.

Scott noticed the altercation in the corner of his eye and focused his gaze upon it. "Hey, those Messians are ganging up on Mord!" said Scott, pointing at their Familia captain.

Guile put down the barbell. "We can't let them get away with this!" said Guile. "Let's go!"

The two rushed in to help Mord and were followed by other members of the Kratos Familia who had noticed the altercation as well. They too dropped what they were doing to help their captain. Even Pari had gotten physically involved, trying to pull members of the mob off Mord. The chaotic brawl continued until a group of assorted angels came over the horizon. The Messians noticed them and fled, leaving the Kratos Familia to them.

The angels rained magical blasts. One of them exploded before Guile, knocking him to the ground harshly. "Crap!" said Guile. "I need a weapon!"

The Kratos Familia scattered to avoid being struck by these magical attacks. One of the Kratos members got struck in the back as he ran for shelter inside a building. Some of the Familia members reached their home and retrieved weapons for their friends. Pari retrieved a pair of scimitars while Mord got his sword. Guile got his spiked mace and shield while Scott got his daggers. Once they returned to the training field, they immediately had to dive to the ground to evade a blast of flame.

Pari sent blasts of ice up at the angels. The angels banked in various directions to evade. One of Pari's blasts successfully struck a standard Angel and froze her, causing her to tumble out of the sky. The Kratos Familia began lobbing arrows into the sky. The most unique of the angels, a Virtue, emerged from the mass of angels. It looked like a turquoise, gelatinous statue of a male angel with a heart-like organ in its stomach.

The Virtue rained ball lightning upon the Kratos Familia. Two members were struck and shocked into unconsciousness. A ball lightning landed near Mord, exploding with tremendous force. He got hurled to the ground, covered in dust and rubble. "Damn that angel!" said Mord.

The Virtue continued to fire ball lightning upon the Kratos Familia. A massive blizzard suddenly started, slapping ice and snow into the angels' faces. A Firebolt struck the Virtue in the back, knocking it out of the sky. As soon as it got up, ice had formed around its feet, keeping it stuck to the ground. Bell made a beeline for it, with Argonaut empowering the Hestia Knife. With a single blow, Bell pierced a hole into the Virtue and destroyed it.

"Bell!" said Mord.

"Mord?" asked Bell. "I didn't know you were here!"

Mord noticed a Power hovering above them. "Get down!" he cried, pulling Bell to the ground.

The Power had hurled a spear, which sailed by over their heads. Bell got up and retaliated with a Firebolt. The spell made direct contact with the chest, knocking the angel out of the sky. As the Power landed on his feet, Mord was already arriving with a fatal slash. The Power collapsed and crumbled into nothingness. "Thanks, I owe you one," said Bell.

"Nah, that makes us even," said Mord. "You saved me from the Goliath. Now, I saved you from that angel."

Pari, Guile, and Scott rejoined Mord. "The Little Rookie is here?" asked Scott.

"Yeah, and look who he brought with him. That's the Ice Cold Sculptor and Ignis over there," said Guile, seeing Kaz shoot down a Power with ice and Welf slice through another.

"Secret Agent Chien," said Scott, watching Lili transform into a green dragon and maul a third Power.

"We can talk later. First, let's take out these punks!" said Mord.

A new angel, a Principality, approached Mord. The angel was dressed in chain mail and wore a crown. He also carried a staff with a cross on its tip. The angel fired a bolt of piercing light. Mord weaved right around it and closed in. The Principality tried to shoot him again, but he sidestepped left to avoid it, and went low for a slash to the belly. Mord had opened a great gash there which leaked blood. The Principality collapsed and vanished.

Guile locked gazes with a Power. The Power charged in to impale him, but Guile sidestepped just in time. Guile swung his mace for the head, but got blocked by the Power's shield. Guile continued to pound the shield until it shattered beneath the relentless onslaught. With a blow to the torso, Guile mangled the Power. Scott evaded a standard Angel's blast of holy energy. She fired another, only to have Scott dive away. During his jump, Scott had tossed a dagger, landing it between the eyes.

With the help of the Hestia Familia, the Kratos Familia had turned the tide against the angels. Members of the angry Messian mob were on the ground, interspersed with unconscious Kratos Familia members. Kratos' mages and healers began efforts to heal the wounded. Mord's entourage along with Bell and Welf propped up wounded Kratos Familia members and moved them to shelter. Lili and Haruhime distributed potions while Morgana healed a man with magic.

Mord found a mid-level officer, a chienthrope with long curly hair, limping to the Familia home. He propped up the man and guided him to a bench where Morgana could heal his leg and the other cuts on his body. "Thanks Mord, and you too, Cait Sith," said the chienthrope man.

Morgana grimaced, but said nothing as he continued the Dia spell on the chienthrope's wounds. When the situation settled down, Mord met with Bell. "Well, Little Rookie, it's been quite a while," said Mord.

"Since F18, yeah," said Bell.

"I want to apologize for that. Here we thought you were some no-good punk trying to show off. After your battle with that Goliath, you've proved to us that you're the real deal," said Mord.

"Thank you, I guess," said Bell.

"Aye, I've seen how much stronger your Familia's gotten since then," said Mord. "You even learned how to make those magic croquettes. It's become something of a tradition for everyone to eat one before heading into the Dungeon."

"It's the same with my Familia," said Bell. "So, how have you been?"

"Quite well, if I do say so myself," replied Mord. "My own Familia is climbing the ranks. After that brawl with the demons, a few of us like myself got to Lv3. Just a month ago, I even got Lv4."

"Oh! Congratulations!" said Bell. "What about the rest of your Familia?"

"Guile and Scott hit Lv4 with me, and our mid-level commanders got there a bit after. The rest of the Familia is Lv3, but many are getting close to cracking Lv4. With the right push, they'll get there. Those croquettes really did the trick. We've also recruited Yaksini into our Familia and one of them even became my girl," replied Mord.

Pari waved at Mord and smiled. Mord smiled and waved in return. "It looks like everything's going your way," said Bell.

"Oh yeah!" said Mord. "I can't believe it myself. Say, I also been hearing that you and those demon taming guys have started running joint expeditions to the lower floors."

"Yeah, we just did one with the Hermes Familia a while back," said Bell.

"Since we're all buddy-buddies, why don't you invite us some day?" asked Mord.

"You mean on a joint expedition with the Kratos Familia?" asked Bell.

"Sure! We'd like to team up with you sometime," said Mord.

"A lot of people have been hounding us about that," said Bell.

"Oh, I understand," said Mord. "When the time comes, don't forget about us."

"Bell!" cried Kaz. "We have to move. A big group of angels is heading north. Abel and the others are already going there to stop them."

"Okay," replied Bell. "It was great to meet you again, Mord. I have to go. I'm in a hurry."

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The angels soared across the sky of Orario, passing over the violence and chaos which gripped the city below. In the Smithy District, numerous Messians hurled Molotov cocktails into the windows of establishments marked with the emblems of Hephaestus and Goibniu. Fires erupted from within them, consuming the stores and reducing them to ash. Nearby, the Messians had surrounded several blacksmiths and repeatedly kicked and stomped them, even though they were prone, bloodied, and bruised.

The angels had reached the Loki Familia home, the Twilight Manor, at the north of Orario. They started raining blasts of light, flame, and other elemental blasts down upon the palace. The Loki Familia retaliated with arrows fired from the windows and parapets of their home. On the ground, the Loki Familia had exited their home to form a line against angels attempting to enter. The Hiryute Sisters were part of this line and came face to face with a pair of Virtues.

Tione threw knives at the Virtue, who simply banked right to avoid them. The Virtue retorted by hurling ball lightning. Tione ducked down and it sailed by overhead. Tiona came from behind and stabbed the angel. The Virtue stumbled forward, wounded, then turned around to blast her with ball lightning as his final move. She collapsed, writhing in pain, followed by the angel dying. The second Virtue hurled ball lightning at Tione's back. She turned in time to evade it, then hurled daggers into the heart-like organ, killing the angel.

Tione reached down and pulled her sister up. "Thanks sis," said Tiona.

Further away, the angels rained blasts of flame which forced Riveria to run to safety. "Our home!" cried Gareth nearby, seeing flames roaring through the windows of the castle. A Power approached him with malice. Garreth parried the angel's spear, then pushed in and hacked the ribs. The angel collapsed and vanished.

"Don't worry. We got Loki out safely. We can always rebuild later," said Finn.

A Principality moved in range of Finn and fired beams of light at him. Finn noticed after the first missed him, then weaved around the rest. He hurled his spear into the face, causing a fatal wound which took the angel out of the sky. "There's so many of them. They just keep coming!" said Riveria.

A new type of angel, a Dominion, moved into attack range. He was a blue-haired man dressed in white robes who carried a set of scales in his right hand and a book in the left. He lobbed ball lightning down upon the Loki officers. The explosion blew them aside, despite them already diving for cover. Before he could target the group with another attack, a blonde woman soared through the sky and cut his wing, forcing him to the ground.

When both landed, the Dominion saw that his attacker was Ais Wallenstein. "So, I meet face to face with the one who murdered Father Paul. Justice has come for you!" cried the Dominion.

"I don't care what you think. I won't let you harm my Familia!" said Ais.

Ais activated Ariel and charged the Dominion, who despite blocking the strike, got knocked to the ground by Ariel's wind. He quickly rose to his feet, then hurled ball lightning after her. Ais bounded around to evade them, but one exploded near her feet and staggered her. The Dominion fired another, hitting her chest and sending her to the ground, writhing from electrical shock. She rose from the ground, in time to roll right to evade a column of light.

She jumped onto a house then bounded across them to reach the angel's right flank. She then pounced, but the Dominion caught her forehead with a quick swing of the book. Ais went to the ground, her head bruised and bleeding from the blow. The Dominion followed with ball lightning. She rolled away, then raced to get to his exposed left flank. She came in and the Dominion tried to block, but her sword sliced off the bottom half of his scale.

The Dominion swung wide with his book, but Ais went under it, into a slash to the angel's belly. The Dominion collapsed to the ground and vanished. After felling the Dominion, ball lightning came down from the sky and blasted her into the ground. "Ais!" cried Tiona from down the street.

As the Virtue who had attacked her closed in with his allies, a mass of vines sprouted from the ground. They lashed at the angels and grabbed all but the one Virtue. The missed Virtue got struck in the back by a Firebolt and blown out of the sky. Though he landed on his feet, Welf was already coming at him from behind and sliced through fatally. "Are you guys okay?" asked Bell.

"Argonaut!" said Tiona. "Yeah, we're good. We're glad you came."

Riveria had pulled Ais to a secluded area away from the fighting and started healing her with magic. The Survivors had arrived on the scene to assist the Loki Familia. The sky filled with explosions and angels tumbling out of it. Abel conjured vines which plucked random angels out of the sky and crushed them to nothingness. In the air, Yog pummelled a Virtue with orbs. The Virtue landed feet first on the ground, only to get blasted from behind by Scarlet's flames.

With the angels' numbers dwindling thanks to timely reinforcements, their attack had been thwarted, but the Loki Familia's home was in flames. They watched as one of the tallest spires collapsed with a boom into the fire. The Twilight Manor was finished. Nearly fifty rank and file Loki members had been seriously wounded. Lying on a blanket was a male Loki Familia warrior who had his belly seared by ball lightning. Scarlet knelt beside him and applied healing magic upon him, causing the bleeding lesion to seal.

Once the commotion had settled down, Bell met the Loki's senior officers to check on their condition. "Is everyone okay here?" asked Bell.

"Other than a few small burns and scrapes, we're okay," replied Finn.

Bell looked Finn over and saw bandages on his left arm. "I'm glad, but your home..." said Bell.

"As long as we live, there is hope," said Gareth.

Abel approached Bell. "You know, maybe now might be a good time to pitch it to Loki," said Abel.

"Hmm? Pitch what?" asked Riveria. Abel told the three senior officers about the special demon training sessions and joint expeditions he hosted between the Hestia Familia and at least one guest Familia.

"Oh yes, we've heard about that," said Finn.

"We'd like to extend an invitation to the Loki Familia for such a session," Abel offered. "We believe it would be a good way to help rebuild and re-energize your Familia after this angel attack."

"We appreciate your offer, but we'll have to ask for a rain check," said Finn. "Our Familia has suffered great damage from the angels. We need time to regroup and recover before we can participate."

"We understand," said Abel. "Take all the time you need. Please understand that we make this offer as our way of helping you get back on your feet."

"Of course, we understand. Thank you very much," replied Finn. "We appreciate the offer and will let the goddess know you made it. Once we've recovered, we'd be happy to take you up on it."

 **END OF CHAPTER**


	22. Law 07 - Recruitment Drive

Disclaimer:  
DanMachi was created by Fujino Omori. Shin Megami Tensei was created by Atlus. This story uses reference material from them.

 **Demons of the Dungeon  
By: RB3  
Law in Orario 7: Recruitment Drive**

The Monsterphilia riots had died down and the city of Orario lay in ruins once again. In the Smithy District, blacksmith shops had been looted by the Messians, then torched and left in ruins. A few of the shops still burned and fire fighters worked as quickly as they could to get water pumped. Bit by bit, the water smothered the flames, leaving a charred, ashen ruins behind. Nearby, unconscious, bruised, and bloodied blacksmiths were being strapped onto carts to be rushed to the nearest hospital.

Near the Colosseum, several monster cages had their bars torn open with others knocked down. The monsters were nowhere to be seen. At the front, the vending stands had been smashed to pieces. Ice cream had been smeared all over the ground and chunks of fruit and vegetables were scattered everywhere. The Ganesha Familia were out in force trying to sweep the produce from the floors. Others pointed a water hose to wash away the ice cream.

As a result of the riots, an emergency Denatus had been convened a week after the riots had ended. The gods and goddesses of Orario met around a round table. "I wish to open the meeting by announcing that we've determined the real culprit behind Father Paul's murder," said Titania.

"Who was it? Who tried to frame my Ais?" asked Loki.

"The man's name is Jason Shepherd. He had confessed to Father Paul's murder. He was once a member of the Hecate Familia, but started taking contracts for various unsavoury jobs like theft and murder. He killed Father Paul by summoning a Doppelganger, a demon which could take on the appearance of any person. He had it impersonate Ais and steal her sword to carry out the murder," replied Titania.

"You again?" Loki asked Hecate.

"It wasn't her," replied Titania. "Jason Shepherd had gone rogue. It was Hecate who tipped us off about him."

"Yes, he broke Familia rules, so I stripped him of the Falna, simple as that," said Hecate.

"We've already sent word of this to the Guild. They should be reversing Ais' banning soon," said Titania.

"Thank you, Titania, and you too, Hecate. This means much to me as the head of the Loki Familia," said Loki.

"Did you find anything about who had hired Shepherd?" asked Athena.

"Not yet," replied Titania. "He had to have been paid secretly, but we're still performing the legwork to discover the source."

"I see. Thank you for this announcement," said Athena.

The next item on the Denatus's agenda was the Monsterphilia Riots themselves. According to witness testimony, the riots broke out when a group of Messian protesters started hurling rocks at Ganesha monster tamers. At the time, the tamers were moving monsters into a shelter after a show. They lost control of one of the cages when a connecting ring snapped. It rolled back and ran over some of the protesters, who interpreted this as an attack and retaliated.

Other Messians in the city joined in on attacking the works of the gods, setting off the riots. One group had harassed the Kratos Familia outside of their Familia home and training compound. It erupted into a massive brawl with angels getting involved. The Hestia Familia intervened and repelled the angels. Afterwards, they pursued a swarm of angels headed north to attack the Loki Familia home. They assisted the Loki Familia in repelling the attack, but lost the Loki Familia home to a fire started by the angels.

"What I don't get is what do they have against Monsterphilia? Why do they despise it so much?" asked Hephaestus.

"The Messians view fighting monsters as a crusade," replied Titania.

"If they're this fanatical, how will we be able to hold Monsterphilia next year?" asked Ganesha. "Is this going to happen every year?"

"Still, why were our shops torched? Why were my smiths beaten, some to death? Our Familia never did anything to them!" said Goibniu, an elderly smithing god.

"I'm with Goibniu on this. My own Familia's shops were looted and burned too," said Hephaestus.

"I'm getting to the end of my rope too. We arrested their members, yes, but also people from our side who were harassing them. Yet they continue to hurl abuse at us, vandalize our works, but now they've gone too far! We need to lay down the law!" said Athena.

"Now that I think of it, I'm starting to wonder if the riots were meant to be a distraction," said Hestia. "When my Familia saw the angels going to Loki's home, they noticed that it was a much larger, coordinated group than the one at the Kratos Familia home. I find it strange that they could muster such a large force on short notice. It's like they planned for this."

"Maybe it was payback for Father Paul?" asked Kratos. "We weren't involved, so we got off lightly."

"The Guild banned the Sword Princess for that, but it's a moot point, now that we know she's innocent," said Freya.

"If all this was some scheme to get at my Familia, I won't stand for it!" said Loki.

"Don't fall for their baiting. An all out war is exactly what they want," said Titania. "Nevertheless, the Messians will need to be punished."

"Boycott!" said Goibniu. "Lock them out until they make concessions and reparations!"

"Yes, I second the motion for a boycott!" said Hephaestus.

"I third the motion!" said Miach.

Many other gods, including Kratos, Hestia, and Take Mikazuchi, voted in favour of boycotting the Messians. The vote was nearly universal in favour of the boycott. The Babelites also agreed to the boycott as a show of solidarity to Orario. "So, the motion passes. We are cutting out the Messians," said Loki. "Good!"

"If you have yet to do so, now would be a good time to shore up your Familia by getting recruitment up. If you're willing to take the risk, you can try to recruit demons," said Titania.

"I've done that, myself," said Kratos. "I brought in a couple of Yaksini demons. The guys love 'em. Who doesn't want more babes around the house?"

"How did you recruit them?" asked Loki. "Did you have the Hecate Familia summon them and make a contract?"

"Nah, I just talked to them. They liked what I had going on, so they volunteered to join my Familia," said Kratos.

"Just like that?" asked Loki.

"Our demon tamers do that all the time. Kratos, you gave them a Falna, didn't you?" asked Titania.

"Yeah, that officially made them Familia members," replied Kratos.

"Okay, looks like I'll have to get some recruiting done," said Loki with an impish smile.

"Just be careful," said Titania. "Kratos was lucky that he found willing demons. If you're not so lucky, you'll have a fight on your hands."

"I also have an idea, but not many gods will like it. I propose that we get the Guild to move adventurers from the blacklist to a probationary status," said Athena.

"Are we really that desperate?" asked Loki.

"Many of our Familia members have been incapacitated or killed by the demons and Messians. My own Familia lost nearly half a dozen members in just this attack alone," said Athena. "We need every available hand we can get."

"I guess we are. Okay then, I'll second this proposal," said Loki.

"This is a horrible idea. I am against it," said Freya. This proposal resulted in a nearly even split that ultimately favoured those supporting the proposal by a single vote.

The Denatus went on to the naming ceremony, where they provided names for newly promoted adventurers. Although they had levelled a while back, the Hestia Familia had none of their aliases changed. After the joint expedition with the Hestia Familia, many Hermes Familia members had acquired new levels as well. Among those promoted were Asfi to Lv6, Falgar and Lulune to Lv5, and Meryl to Lv4. They retained their aliases.

The most prominent promotee was Ais Wallenstein. Once she recovered from her wounds, she'll return as a fresh new Lv7 adventurer, retaining the alias of "Sword Princess." She earned Lv7 by defeating the Dominion who had spearheaded the attack against the Twilight Manor. Her promotion proved a welcome morale booster for the Loki Familia after the damage they had suffered from the Messians. After Finn, Riveria, and Gareth, Ais had become the fourth Lv7 adventurer in her Familia.

"You won't hear me say this much, but congratulations," said Hestia.

"Yes, congratulations," said Hermes.

"Thank you, and congratulations to all other Familia whose members gained levels," said Loki. "That adjourns today's Denatus."

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After the Denatus, the Guild posted the new policies agreed upon by the gods. Word about the reinstatement of those on the blacklist spread around Orario. It reached even Ryu Lion's ears at the Hostess of Fertility. "Is this true, Arnya?" asked Ryu of the cat girl waitress as they washed dishes.

"It's true, nya!" replied Arnya. "I went to the Guild to see for myself. The gods voted on it, but it was a very even split from what I heard."

For Ryu, it was music to her ears, the chance to return to adventuring, the excitement of seeing new places, and the thrill of battle. When she took vengeance upon that enemy Familia and those who supported them, she was exhausted and prepared to join the rest of her Familia in death. The Hostess took her in and gave her a new life, though she had been banned by the Guild and denied their services, such as cashing in magic stones.

While she was thankful to the Hostess, what Ryu really wanted was her old life of high adventure. "I see," said Ryu.

"You're going to leave us soon, aren't you?" asked Arnya. "I can see it in your face."

"Yeah," admitted Ryu. "I want to go back to adventuring."

"I understand. We know this work isn't for you," said Arnya. "Even so, please come by and visit often, nya!"

"Of course!" said Ryu. "I won't forget you guys."

"Your old Familia is gone. Do you have a new one you want to join?" asked Arnya.

"Yeah, I was thinking of joining the Hestia Familia," replied Ryu.

"Oh, that's Bell's Familia! I'm sure you'll fit right in," said Arnya.

After work, Ryu made her way to the Pantheon to apply for probation. After waiting for some time in a line, she was met by Eina, who reviewed her record. Eina explained the terms of the probation, which resembled those of parole from prison. Ryu needed to obey the law and would be visited by a Guild officer on occasion. She was to avoid the relatives of those she had killed and refrain from consuming alcoholic beverages or taking recreational drugs.

After filling out the paperwork, Ryu got her probationary status. She immediately departed for the Hestia Hall. Inside, the Hestia Familia had a round table discussion on events in the deepest floors of the Dungeon. "We've noticed that a large number of Messians are setting up camp in the hills west of the Rainfall Village," said Kaz. "That first group Lyd had captured turned out to be one of their scouting teams."

"Now I'm concerned for Wiene and the others," said Bell.

"Yeah, we all are. If they're planning to raid the refuge, we'll have a fight on our hands," said Kaz.

The door bell rang and Hestia answered. She found Ryu at the entrance, dressed in her green cloak and flower-like hood. "Ryu? What are you doing here?" asked Hestia.

"Did you hear? The Guild is giving out probation to people on the blacklist. I just got mine today," replied Ryu.

"Oh yeah! That's great! Please, come in," said Hestia.

Ryu wiped her boots on the mat upon entry. "I came here to ask you something, Goddess. Please let me join your Familia," requested Ryu.

"Don't you already have a Familia?" asked Lili from within.

"Not anymore. My Familia is gone and my former goddess has been banished. I don't have a Familia to return to," replied Ryu.

"If you want to join, we'd love to bring you on board, right guys?" asked Bell.

"Sure, we could always use another member," replied Kaz.

"I'm cool with that too," replied Welf.

Lili and Haru were also in favour of taking in Ryu. "Very well, but keep your hands off Bell. He's mine!" said Hestia.

"Alright," said Ryu.

"Good," said Hestia. "Please head upstairs so I can give you a Falna."

"Very well. Thank you, Goddess Hestia, for accepting me into your Familia," said Ryu.

The Hestia Familia called for a break in their meeting. Ryu followed the goddess upstairs to her room, where she removed her top. Hestia pricked her finger and smeared blood onto the elf's back. The old star-like Falna vanished and Hestia's brazier took its place. "You're a very strong adventurer. You're ready to level," remarked Hestia.

 **Ryu Lion**  
Lv 4

Str: E  
Vit: F  
Dex: A  
Agi: A  
Mgc: B

 **Skills**  
Fairy Serenade (increase magic power, larger boost at night)  
Mind Load (increase physical damage using mind)  
Aero Mana (running speed boosts physical damage)

 **Magic**  
Luminous Wind (wind blasts hammer foes)  
Noah Heal (heal 1 target)

 **Dev Abilities**  
Hunter G  
Status Resist G  
Magic Resist I

Ryu was a versatile adventurer who combined quick strikes with a small helping of magic derived from her elven blood. Mind Load allowed her to use mind to increase her physical damage. Aero Mana increased her attack power the faster she moved. Hunter increased her stats if she faced a monster that she had already fought. Using all three together made for a quick, deadly assassin who struck hard and without warning.

Ryu also had two useful spells which originated from her elven heritage. Noah Heal provided healing in case of a Familia member getting hurt. Luminous Wind was an offensive spell which involved firing blasts of glowing green air at her foe. Her spells were empowered by Fairy Serenade, even more so if it was night time. Her last abilities, status resist and magic resist, were nothing unusual and gave her protection from special attacks.

Hestia pressed a copy of her status for Ryu to read. "Here ya go!" said Hestia.

"Thank you goddess Hestia," said Ryu.

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Ryu and Hestia joined the others just as they returned from their recess. "Before we start, let's brief Ryu on the situation," said Hestia. "Ryu, you're going hear things that must be kept secret. Can you do that?"

"Yeah, I won't tell anyone," said Ryu.

"Good, let's continue about the situation with the Xenos," said Hestia.

"What are the Xenos?" asked Ryu.

"They are monsters who can talk like you or I can," replied Hestia.

"There are monsters who can talk?" asked Ryu incredulously.

"Yeah," replied Kaz. "They want to coexist with us in the upper world, but we're not ready for that yet. Lots of people are hunting them, and it seems the Messians are one such group."

"Adventurers were about to find their old village, so we found them a new home," said Haruhime.

"Who else knows about the Xenos?" asked Ryu.

"Other than us, there's the Babelites, Ouranos, Hermes, Ganesha, Hecate, and Take Mikazuchi," replied Kaz.

"Ganesha too? That must be why he holds Monsterphilia every year," said Ryu.

"Yeah," replied Bell.

"I can't believe it... Demons and talking monsters? I've been a Familia member for just a few seconds and already my world's upside down," said Ryu. "Where is the Xenos' new home?"

"It's on F65, but there's a problem," replied Kaz. "The Babelites have reported that the Messians have built a camp to the west of the refuge. They've demanded the removal of the camp, but the Messians refuse. There's been one incident of Messians being caught in the refuge already. It's only a matter of time before the Messians attack."

"We've been brainstorming ways of dealing with this situation," said Lili.

"I think we'll have to go through with it like Ouranos says. We'll have to get them adopted into new Familia," said Morgana.

"We tried giving them a refuge, but the Messians found it. I don't think we can keep the Xenos safe no matter where we hide them," said Kaz.

"I don't have any solutions," said Welf.

"Neither do I," said Bell.

"If we do what Ouranos suggests, everyone will know about the Xenos," said Lili. "Are we prepared for that?"

Bell sighed. "I don't think we have a choice. You heard what Kaz said. If we hide them again, they'll just be hunted down again! ARRGGGH!" he growled in frustration.

"What have the others said about this?" asked Lili.

"They're just as concerned as we are," replied Kaz. "Hermes and Ganesha doesn't think we have any other choice. We have to move forward with integration. Ouranos asked if we could adopt some of them for protection."

"We could invite Wiene into our Familia," said Haruhime.

"Absolutely not!" said Hestia.

"Goddess, don't you want to help the Xenos?" asked Bell.

"I do, but I don't want Wiene getting her paws on you," replied Hestia. "You're mine alone!"

"Hey, he's my Bell!" said Lili.

"Oh, of all the... Fine!" said Kaz with exasperation. "I'll let Wiene stay at my place. Happy now?"

"Good," replied Hestia.

"I can live with that," said Lili.

Kaz sighed. "Sure, dump all the love rivals at my place!" said Kaz, shaking his head. Welf simply chuckled at Kaz's situation. "The Babelites will inform Ouranos. We move tomorrow, so let's get ready."

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The next day, the Hestia Familia ate a small breakfast consisting of magic croquettes. This version was filled with potato, bacon, and cheese for a nice savoury flavour. "So these are magic croquettes?" asked Ryu.

"Yeah, we eat these before a big expedition into the Dungeon," said Bell.

Ryu bit into her croquette. "Mmm, these things really work. I can feel the power within me," said Ryu, after swallowing her morsel.

After breakfast, the Hestia Familia went down to F65, to the Babelite bulwark. As they travelled east along the shore, they could see explosions far to the north. They hurried quickly to the Xenos Refuge and found that it was safe, at least for the moment. "Bell!" said Wiene, hugging the Little Rookie as he entered the village limits.

"I'm so glad to see you! Are you well?" asked Bell.

"Yeah! I've been working hard, gathering food for our village. I'm glad you're okay too," said Wiene. "We're going to move again, aren't we?"

"Yeah, this time, we're going to have some of the gods adopt you," said Bell. "Would you like to join my Familia?"

"Of course! I'd love to!" said Wiene.

"Bell!" cried Lyd from further inside the village.

"Lyd! I'm glad to see you still live!" said Bell.

"I heard the word. We're leaving now, right?" asked Lyd.

"Yeah, I hoped you packed whatever you need," said Bell.

"Yeah, we're ready to move," said Lyd.

"Angels!" cried one of the Xenos.

A group of angels started bombarding the refuge with elemental blasts. The Xenos sent up arrows and their own elemental blasts in retaliation. Some angels descended into the refuge, prompting the Xenos to draw weapons. The two sides clashed. Bell drew the Hestia Knife and closed with a Power angel. The angel tried to stab him, but Bell sidestepped the spear. He moved to the flank and plunged the dagger into the Power's ribs.

A Principality hurled a blast of light into a building, which smashed the house and the furniture inside to pieces. Ryu dashed across the square and slashed him as she went by. The angel got bisected and vanished. Another Principality fired holy bolts at a fleeing siren Xenos. Lili responded by shooting him. The Principality was riddled with arrows and collapsed, allowing the siren to escape. Haruhime's illusory green dragon tackled another Principality to the ground and tore out his neck.

"We'll hold them off," said Kaz, freezing a Power. "Get to the bulwark!"

"Okay, stay alive Hestia Familia," said Lyd.

Lyd decapitated a Power on his way out with the Xenos survivors. A group of angels descended to follow them, but Kaz froze an Archangel with his ice beam. The angel squad scattered, which caused them to lose ground. His second beam struck another Archangel, freezing him solid. The Archangel fell out of the sky and shattered to pieces upon hitting the ground. A Virtue descended on him, hurling ball lightning. Kaz ran from the blasts, but got struck by one, which shattered a protective illusory image from Haruhime's Yata no Kagami.

He then retorted with an ice beam to the wing. The Virtue fell out of the sky, landing on its feet. It hurled ball lightning, which Kaz ducked. His demon, the phoenix-like Feng Huang, dove at the Virtue and tackled it to the ground. Once the Virtue got up, it tossed ball lightning, which the Feng Huang absorbed. Feng Huang retaliated with fire breath. The Virtue reared back in pain and Kaz finished it by blasting a hole through its chest with an ice beam.

Another Virtue hurled ball lightning at Morgana. Morgana leapt away, then launched tornadoes which caught it and hurled it away. It straightened itself and retorted with more ball lightning, but Welf moved to intercept. He held out his sword, which pulled the lightning in and dissipated it. Ryu leapt at the angel and slashed it across the ribs. Despite having a massive gash on its body, the Virtue still found the strength to toss more ball lightning.

Ryu sidestepped, then suddenly unleashed her concurrently chanted Luminous Wind. Lili watched as the flurry of windy blasts tore the Virtue apart. "Concurrent chanting," remarked Lili.

Haruhime unleashed a burst of Foxfire upon several Angels and Archangels. The illusory blue flames burned them all to ash. Bell and Kaz rejoined the group. "The Xenos have all fled. No one here but us. Time to go!" said Bell.

"Okay," said Lili.

The Hestia Familia ran out of the village, straight for the Babelite bulwark. As they approached the mid point, some angels came from the ocean and gave pursuit. They started to rain blasts of holy energy upon the Familia. Kaz evaded one of the blasts, but before he could retaliate, a group of demons intercepted the angels. They resembled cancerous blobs of flesh with multiple faces and tendrils. They were Legion demons who belonged to the Babelites.

One of them spewed Purple Smoke upon an Archangel. When exposed to it, the Archangel saw false images of the Legion and started to randomly shoot them with holy bolts. "Hurry, while they are distracted!" said Lili. The Hestia fled the area, leaving the angels to the Legions.

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The Hestia Familia stepped through the portal to the Babelite base. They found the Xenos in the same camp they had once used while in hiding from the Hecate Familia. Out of the at least fifty Xenos who lived in the village, they could only account for thirty in the camp. The others either fled and hid somewhere else, or did not survive the angel raid. They eventually found Wiene with Lyd, seated across from each other.

The Hestia Familia breathed a sigh of relief to see that they had reached safety. "Wiene! I'm glad you got out fine," said Bell.

"Yeah, but our home! What will do now?" asked Wiene, on the verge of tears.

Fels arrived at the camp. "Oh Fels!" said Kaz.

"Greetings," replied Fels. "Lord Ouranos and I have always believed that one day, the Xenos could coexist with the mortal races. Now, it is as he said. The Messians are pursuing them and there's nowhere to run."

"So, you're going to spill the beans?" asked Welf.

"Aye," replied Fels. "They'll be safer if an appreciative Familia can adopt them."

"Won't that shock and scare the people?" asked Lili.

"It might, but we'll have to risk it," admitted Fels. "This incident has shown us the lengths their enemies will go to get at them. Lord Ouranos knows you tried your best, but hiding them will not suffice any longer. You intend to adopt Wiene into your Familia, won't you?"

"Of course!" replied Bell.

"Okay, please treat her well. She and the other Xenos have gone through so much," said Fels.

"She'll be like family," said Bell. Fels nodded in satisfaction before leaving to report to his god.

After the Babelites had beaten back the Messian attack, Ouranos announced the existence of the Xenos to all of Orario. The people of Orario were shocked to learn of the existence of monsters who could talk and understand human language. They were even more surprised to find that the Xenos were being harassed by the Messians. Although Ouranos and his allies had worked hard to protect them, they ultimately conceded to the fact that no matter where the Xenos hid, they would be discovered and threatened.

Thus, they pushed for coexistence and acceptance into Orario as members of a Familia. The first round of recruiters travelled to the Babelite base to look upon the Xenos refugees. The group included recruiters from the Hestia, Hermes, and Ganesha Familia, people who had been heavily involved in protecting the Xenos from both poachers and the Messians. The gods took aside each Xenos and interviewed them to determine if they fit their Familia's needs.

Fels was also on scene, acting as Ouranos' representative. Lyd and a gargoyle named Gros were with Fels. "So, both of you got Falna from Ouranos?" asked Lili, approaching the group.

"Yep," replied Lyd. "As the chief, I'll be helping Fels watch over the Xenos as they settle into their new Familia. Although Gros is uneasy with this idea, he decided to join Ouranos with me. Has Wiene joined you yet? She told me she was going to do so."

"She's with the goddess. There she is now," said Welf, seeing the two enter an empty tent.

Hestia putting out a sign behind her and closed the opening for privacy. She had Wiene sit on a stool and pricked her finger on a needle. She smeared the blood onto Wiene's back, which formed the brazier-like tattoo of the Hestia Familia. "Thank you goddess. I will serve you loyally to the best of my ability," said Wiene.

 **Wiene**  
Lv 4

Str: F  
Vit: F  
Dex: S  
Agi: S  
Mgc: S

 **Skills**  
Vouivre Traits  
Xenos (can speak mortal languages, eat magic stones for nourishment and growth)  
Soaring (increase flight speed)

 **Magic**  
Garnet Blast (no-chant, shoot red energy bolt)  
Garnet Trance (no-chant, hypnotize foes)

 **Dev Abilities**  
Status Resist G  
Magic Resist G  
Escape I

Wiene was a unique new adventurer as she was a Xenos and not one of the normal mortal races. She was a vouivre Xenos, which meant she could fly using her wings. Being a Xenos, not only could she communicate, she could also consume magic stones to feed herself and her Falna for faster advancement. If she ate a strong monster's magic stone, she could level up if she had enough stats, which she had done twice already, as vouivres were normally Lv2 at birth.

Vouivres grew magical, garnet-like jewels on their foreheads. She could tap into this jewel for magical powers. The first was the Garnet Blast, a simple bolt of magical energy fired from the jewel. Her second, Garnet Trance, caused victims to black out and give up precious seconds for her allies to act without interference. Her abilities made her well suited for hit-and-run attacks and aerial bombardment. In fact, she did so much running from hostile monsters that she gained the Escape development ability.

"I know you'll be an asset and a true friend," said Hestia. "Just know that I'm not happy that another girl is muscling in on Bell. Keep your hands off him and I'll be fine."

"Even if you're a goddess, I'm won't lose to you!" said Wiene.

"I saw him first. I've been working on him for so long. I'm not letting you take him!" said Hestia.

Outside, Bell heard the girls arguing and the tent shuffling. "What's going on? Is everything okay?" asked Bell.

"We're good!" said Wiene and Hestia in unison. The two glared at each other.

 **END OF CHAPTER**


	23. Law 08 - Blue Shield

Disclaimer:  
DanMachi was created by Fujino Omori. Shin Megami Tensei was created by Atlus. This story uses reference material from them.

 **Demons of the Dungeon  
** **By: RB3  
** **Law in Orario 8: Blue Shield**

After the great battle to rescue the Xenos, they had been divided among many different Familia. Things started to quiet down as the Xenos and the Familia got acquainted with each other, yet a confrontation with the Messians was inevitable after the invasion of the restricted zone and the Monsterphilia Riots. To prepare for this, the Hestia Familia got updates to their Falna from their goddess. The first to arrive was Bell Cranel, the Familia captain.

 **Bell Cranel  
** Lv 5 - 6

Str: SS - I  
Vit: SS - I  
Dex: SS - I  
Agi: SSS - I  
Mgc: A - I

 **Skill  
** Realis Phrase  
Argonaut  
Giant Slayer  
Ambassador

 **Magic  
** Firebolt

 **Dev Abilities  
** Luck F  
Status Resist G  
Escape G  
Healing Power I  
Chain Attack I (chance to make extra attacks)

Bell got two new development abilities in the form of Chain Attack and Healing Power. Healing Power allowed him to heal faster from wounds. Although he had Vlad's ring, which drained blood to heal his wounds, it was very slow working. With Healing Power working in tandem, they could get him recovered very rapidly. These also gained a boost with Chain Attack, which enabled more attacks in quick succession. He gained this ability by focusing on a quick striking style.

Hestia gave Bell a printout of his Falna. "You're such a speed demon!" remarked Hestia.

"Yeah, I thought this ability would work well with what I've got. I'll practice it the next time I'm in the Dungeon," said Bell. When he left, Kaz took his place on the bed.

 **Kazuya Minegishi  
** Lv 5 - 6

Str: F - I  
Vit: S - I  
Dex: SS - I  
Agi: S - I  
Mgc: SSSS - I

 **Skills  
** Mystical Attunement  
Water / Ice Absorb  
Energetic Reservoir  
Dragon Slayer  
Lesser Key  
Affliction (+ magic damage & chance to apply status ailments)

 **Magic  
** Water Sculptor  
Drain  
Ars Goetia  
Succubus Kiss

 **Dev Abilities  
** Mage D  
Magic Resist G  
Spirit Healing H  
Healing Power I  
Strong Defence I (reduce physical damage taken)

As Abel, Kaz was essentially a god of magic, similar to how Hecate was a goddess of magic. His fighting style in both forms favoured debilitating and incapacitating foes rather than raw, overpowering force. This caused him to gain the Affliction skill to improve both aspects. Since his style focused on causing attrition to foes, along with his tendency to guard allies with ice barriers, he gained Strong Defence to bolster his favoured tactics.

Hestia made a copy of his Falna status and gave it to him. "Okay," said Kaz.

"I see that you tend to protect other Familia members from hits with your magic," said Hestia.

"Of course, I make ice shields and walls to block the enemy," replied Kaz.

"I see. I appreciate you making the effort to keep my Familia safe. Please keep up the good work," said Hestia. Kaz nodded, then left and Morgana came in to get his update.

 **Morgana Mona  
** Lv 5 - 6

Str: B - I  
Vit: G - I  
Dex: C - I  
Agi: S - I  
Mgc: S - I

 **Skills  
** Shapeshift  
Scanner  
Miracle Punch  
Mercurius  
Beaufort Scaling

 **Magic  
** Persona: Zorro  
Garu  
Salvation  
Sukunda  
Traesto (teleport party to home, long cast time)

 **Dev Abilities  
** Status Resist G  
Mage D  
Magic Resist E  
Spirit Healing H

Morgana was originally from the Sea of Souls, a different world from Orario. Obviously, he wanted to return home, but could not go back until he fulfilled his purpose in Orario. It was fitting that he gained a spell to allow him to return home, which was currently the Hestia Hall. Hestia gave Morgana a copy of his Falna to read. "Oh, now I get this spell! If only I had this as a Phantom Thief. It would have saved us so much time. Anyway, thank you goddess Hestia," said Morgana. He left and in came Lili for her update.

 **Liliruca Arde  
** Lv 4 - 5

Str: H - I  
Vit: G - I  
Dex: S - I  
Agi: D - I  
Mgc: C - I

 **Skills  
** Alter Assist  
Monster Drop +  
Mind Arrow  
Mimic Arrow (copy a spell & charge into an arrow, weaker than original)  
Dexterity Seed  
Agility Seed

 **Magic  
** Cinderella +

 **Dev Abilities  
** Shooter F  
Status Resist G  
Mixing H

Lili also got a level and a new skill, Mimic Arrow. Lili once thought she was weak which led to so much self-loathing. She wanted to be stronger, but if she couldn't, she at least wanted to be someone else. Those thoughts had brought her the Cinderella spell. Those same thoughts, now with her new desire to excel in archery, and to get with Bell, she created this new skill to reflect them. "Oh, so this is my own version of Argonaut!" said Lili.

"Yeah, but yours isn't as powerful as his," said Hestia. "It looks like your focus in archery is paying off."

"Welf made me a new crossbow, which is helping a lot too," said Lili.

"I understand. Keep up the good work!" said Hestia. When Lili left, Haruhime was the next to come in.

 **Haruhime Sanjouno  
** Lv 4 - 5

Str: G - I  
Vit: G - I  
Dex: C - I  
Spd: C - I  
Mgc: S - I

 **Skills  
** Kokaji  
Magic Seed  
Vitality Seed

 **Magic  
** Uchide no Kozuchi  
Uga no Mitama  
Kokonoe  
Foxfire - Kusanagi (mould Foxfire into a rain of swords)  
Yata no Kagami

 **Dev Abilities  
** Mage E  
Status Resist G  
Smithing H  
Spirit Healing I

Haruhime had gained a level and upgraded her Foxfire spell to Kusanagi. As the name of a legendary Far Eastern weapon, this spell reflected Haruhime's foreign origins. It now offered two modes of attack for Foxfire. The first was the original burst of illusory flame. The second was bombardment with dozens of Foxfire swords. This was a far more cost effective use of Foxfire, spreading the damage out more evenly with less waste. With all the magic she cast, Haruhime gained Spirit Healing to stay in the fight longer.

Hestia gave Haruhime a copy of her Falna. "Your Foxfire upgraded to be stronger," said Hestia.

"Yes! I feel I'm becoming more useful to everyone. Thank you goddess," said Haruhime.

"Of course. If you really want to help me, work with Welf as much as possible. Help him make the best gear he can for the Familia," said Hestia.

"Of course, thanks goddess," said Haruhime, restoring her kimono. Hestia smiled impishly after she left. The next to come in was Welf.

 **Welf Crozzo  
** Lv 5 - 6

Str: A - I  
Vit: A - I  
Dex: B - I  
Agi: B - I  
Mgc: D - I

 **Skills  
** Crozzo Blood  
Spell Grounding  
Mind Blade (use mind to enhance sword attacks)  
Heart Container  
Strength Seed

 **Magic  
** Will O' Wisp +

 **Dev Abilities  
** Blacksmith C  
Mystery E  
Two-Handed F  
Magic Resistance G  
Healing Power H  
Strong Defence H

Welf had put a lot of development into defensive swordsmanship as he advanced. However, it sacrificed much of his offensive potential for the appropriate skills, especially to guard against magic. Mind Blade enhanced his sword strikes, serving to balance his defence. "Oh!" remarked Welf on seeing his new upgrades.

"Mmmhmm," said Hestia. "It's your first purely offensive skill."

"Yeah, I really needed that," said Welf.

"Yep," replied Hestia. "As a Lv6 adventurer, you're near the top of the pack now."

"Thank you goddess, for all that you've done," said Welf. Once he left, the next person to come in was Ryu.

 **Ryu Lion  
** Lv 4 - 5

Str: D - I  
Vit: E - I  
Dex: S - I  
Agi: S - I  
Mgc: A - I

 **Skill  
** Fairy Serenade  
Mind Load  
Aero Mana  
Fires of Vengeance (+dmg the more self & allies are wounded)

 **Magic  
** Luminous Wind  
Noah Heal

 **Dev Abilities  
** Hunter D  
Status Resist G  
Magic Resist H  
Spirit Heal I

Before joining Hestia, Ryu was a member of the Astraea Familia. Some time ago, they were ambushed and massacred in the Dungeon by Evilus, an alliance of "evil" gods. Ryu was the only known survivor. She went on a one-woman rampage, killing Evilus members and allies in any way she could. As a result of this, she got blacklisted by the Guild and became a waitress at the Hostess of Fertility. Her lingering hatred caused her to gain the skill Fires of Vengeance.

"This is a dark skill you've gained," said Hestia. "It scares me."

Ryu took her parchment and looked at it. "So, it was because of then," said Ryu.

"You were the one who massacred the Rudra Familia, weren't you?" asked Hestia.

"Yes," replied Ryu.

"Please don't go rushing into things like that now that you're in my Familia," said Hestia.

"That's behind me now. Evilus is gone, and now that I can adventure again, I can put the past behind me," said Ryu.

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The Survivors passed through the tunnel down to F73 in the Beol Mountains on the Pleistocene Tundra. When they reached the end of the tunnel, they entered what appeared to be a ruined office. The office was a mess, as though something had exploded outside and scattered glass all over the ground. The desks, chairs, and lights had been smashed to pieces and rendered useless. In the hall nearby was an elevator whose door had been ripped open.

"We're really high up!" remarked Yuzu, looking down the shaft at the darkness below.

"Yeah," said Midori, looking out of the window. "I see lots of sand outside. We're in the middle of a desert."

The Survivors boarded Yog, who lowered them to the ground floor through the shaft. They found the mangled elevator at the bottom, with the cable snapped just metres above. They climbed through the opening between the roof and the elevator to reach the lobby. There was debris everywhere and sand had blown in from the broken front doors. On the outside, the building had a sign written in Japanese, rather than in the native language of Orario. It identified the skyscraper as the Mori Tower.

"This is the Mori Tower?" asked Yuzu. She looked up at the building and noted the familiarity of its profile. "Yes it is!"

"Why is something from Tokyo down here?" asked Atsuro.

"Why indeed," remarked Abel.

The Survivors looked out at F73 and saw nothing more than a vast desert. The only thing that broke the monotony of the sandy wastes were chunks of ruined buildings poking through the ground. The sidewalks and many cars had been buried beneath piles of sand. After a few minutes of flying westward, they came upon a massive crater. "Shibuya should be around here, but all I see is a crater," said Yuzu.

"There's a small set of doors below. Let's take a look," said Atsuro.

The Survivors disembarked on the sand and found a set of tough steel doors built into a mound of earth. Judging from its appearance, it was the entrance to a bomb shelter. Atsuro pulled the handle, but found that the door had been barred from the inside. Before he could employ another solution, the group heard what sounded like an engine revving. A squadron of motorcycles sped towards the group, kicking up a massive cloud of sand in their wake.

The riders were green-skinned creatures with porcine noses, orcs. Unlike normal orcs, each was slightly larger in height than an adult man. They had hair in the mohawk style and wore studded leather jackets. As they raced forward, they twirled lengths of chain in a circle. When one biker got near Atsuro, he whipped the chain around his arm. He tried to pull Atsuro down, but the Survivor dug in, yanking the biker off of his ride instead.

As he got up, Atsuro had closed in and hurled a dozen punches at the biker, finishing by uppercutting him high into the air. Despite crashing a distance away, the biker managed to get up and run back to the fray. Yog bombarded the biker gang with orbs, only managing to unseat one from his ride. The biker got off the ground and ran back to rejoin the fray. Abel arced lightning upon another group of bikers. Despite being staggered, they forced their way through.

"They don't have any weaknesses," said Yuzu, relaying the information her comp had beamed to her. "They resist everything!"

"Let's try almighty," said Midori.

She created an orb of violet, almighty energy in the midst of a group of bikers. The ensuing explosion scattered them, with two being disintegrated instantly. The others got sent into the sand harshly, but recovered quickly and ran back to rejoin the battle. Atsuro evaded a punch and then retorted with a flurry of his own. He scored clean hits with each blow, but his foe was only bumped back by this onslaught. The biker closed and threw another punch. Atsuro weaved around it, then lunged for the forehead.

The biker stumbled back, taking a moment to regain his bearings. A spark of electricity flickered briefly at the point of contact. Suddenly, the biker's head swelled massively, and he cried out in agony from the sheer amount of pressure focused there. Then, the orc's head exploded in a fountain of black blood! Atsuro recoiled in shock from this sudden, gruesome death that he had inflicted on his foe.

"What did you do to him?" asked Midori. "That was horrifying!"

"I don't know! I hit him in the face then his head just exploded!" replied Atsuro.

Abel weaved around a biker's punch, then hurled an icicle at his foe's forehead. Like before, electricity sparked at the point of contact. The biker's head swelled massively, just before it exploded like the first. During this time, Abel noticed the brief blue glow from pathways of energy which crossed the biker's body like veins and arteries. They formed circular nodes at key points such as at the forehead, where he had struck the biker.

"Oh! I see now! They have special 'pressure points' on their bodies," replied Abel.

"I can see them too!" said Yuzu, as her comp registered these pressure points. It superimposed an image of them over the body of the bikers, telling her where to strike.

Atsuro threw a series of rapid punches at an incoming orc. After staggering the biker, Atsuro jabbed him in the forehead. The biker stumbled back and electricity sparked where he had been hit. His head swelled, then burst, blowing his head to a pulp. Viola slashed another biker's legs, crippling his movement. After kicking him away, Viola launched into a flying kick, landing the blow on his heart. Electricity sparked from that location and seconds later, his torso exploded, scattering his head and limbs all over the ground.

After several more exchanges, the mohawked biker orcs exploded one after the other until none remained. "Now we have monsters which explode when you hit them in the right spot," remarked Atsuro. "It doesn't get stranger than this."

Atsuro tore open the bomb shelter doors and the group entered. They found an elevator and took it down into the bottom. The elevator passed by numerous sub floors filled with rooms for people to live in. It was like an underground hotel or apartment complex which could house thousands of people. Upon reaching the bottom floor lobby, they found a set of thick steel double doors. To open them, they tried everything from pulling the handles to blasting them with magic, but nothing worked.

"My comp is telling me there is a way to the next floor down through there. It can't scan any further than that," said Atsuro.

Abel glanced over the steel double doors. "Hmm, this door is keyed to the life of something else. I'm not sure what, but until we find out, this is as far was we can go."

"Blowing it up probably isn't a good idea in such a cramped place. I guess this is where we stop. We should head back," said Yuzu.

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Bell and the rest of the Familia reported to Eina of the Guild in the Pantheon. They gave her their Falna sheets as proof of their rise to a new level of power. "Another level?" asked EIna.

"Yep," replied Bell.

"You remember how Ouranos revealed the existence of the Xenos?" asked Kaz. Eina nodded. "Well, before that happened, the Messians had attacked the refuge the Xenos once called home."

"Oh, I see, you must have helped defend their sanctuary," said Eina.

"Yep," replied Kaz.

"It seems more people are levelling these days, thanks to your magic croquettes," said Eina. "Nowadays, even a Lv2 is considered low. It's not until you are Lv3 that you are truly seen as mid-level. Not that I'm complaining. We need more higher-levelled people. All these demon and angel attacks left Orario in bad shape."

"What would be considered high level today?" asked Welf.

"At least Lv6," replied Eina. "It used to be Lv5."

"So, Kaz and I would be high level," remarked Bell.

"Yep, you're not a Little Rookie anymore, Bell. You're at the top of the pack now," said Eina. "I've watched you grow since you first came to me as a Lv1. I'm honoured to have been with you the entire way."

"Thank you Eina," said Bell.

The Hestia Familia went their separate ways after the report. As he walked home, Bell passed by the Hostess of Fertility. One of the waitresses, Syr, ran east with a package. Bell decided to follow her out of curiosity. She reached Daedalus Street, the poorest area of town. This area was heavily frequented by the Messians, which caused him some discomfort due to having opposed them so often. Bell saw her round a corner, which he approached and used to spy on her.

Syr approached what appeared to be a small church. Half a dozen small children, orphans, played around the church, which was their home. Their matron was a kindly older woman with her black hair tied back and clad in a dark blue dress with an apron. Syr noticed that Bell was watching her hand the package to the matron. "Oh Bell! I didn't expect to see you here!" said Syr.

"Yeah, sorry for spying on you," said Bell.

"No problem. In fact, I'd like you to meet Maria Martel. She runs an orphanage out of this church," said Syr.

"Hello ma'am, nice to meet you," said Bell. "I'm Bell Cranel."

"Oh, David! The pleasure's mine," said Maria, the matron of the orphanage.

"He's got a weapon. Is he a real adventurer?" asked one of the kids, a boy with wild brown hair.

"Yep," replied Maria. "Bell, this is Rye Baker, one of my wards."

"Hello!" said Bell.

"Hi!" said Rye.

"Tell me about yourself, Rye," said Bell.

"I want to be an adventurer you, Bell. I want to be a hero. I want to go into the Dungeon and beat up monsters," said Rye.

"Rye, you know it's dangerous to be an adventurer. You should pick a safer career," said Maria.

"No way! I want to be an adventurer!" said Rye.

"Rye..." said Maria.

"I don't think you'll ever change his mind," said Syr. "His heart is set on the Dungeon."

"Bell, let me join your Familia," said Rye.

"You want to join the Hestia Familia?" asked Bell.

"Yeah," replied Rye. "I need a Familia to be an adventurer, right? Please get goddess Hestia to take me in."

"Rye, Bell's our guest. I can't let you impose on him like that and besides, it's far too dangerous!" said Maria.

"I want to be an adventurer, like my mom and dad, like you, Bell, and like the Sword Princess," said Rye. "She became an adventurer when she was only seven. I'm twelve now, almost twice her age! If she can do it, so can I!"

"He doesn't want to give up his dream. I don't blame him. Nobody likes having their dreams crushed," said Syr. "I know it may be not be my place to say it, but maybe we should give Rye a taste of the adventuring life, just to see if he will still like it."

"I don't like the idea, but you may be on to something," said Maria. "Okay, how about this? I'll let you borrow Rye on weekends for training, just so he can see that it's not all fun and games. He's not to go into the Dungeon."

"I understand. We'll give Rye a good workout, have him train as a supporter while building up his fighting skills," said Bell.

"That's good," said Maria. "Make sure Rye understands that it isn't just glory."

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Josh Thompson approached a bench in a wooded park in the corner of the Messian compound. The sun was starting to set, casting an orangey glow upon the land. People were beginning to leave work for the day and return home to rest for the night. Josh found his friend, Harold, an accountant in white robes with a blue sash. The bespectacled, black-haired man waved his friend over to the wooden bench.

"We don't have much time. I need you to deliver this backpack to the Guild. It's urgent," said Harold.

"Why? What's going on?" asked Josh.

"My backpack has something inside that will reveal the truth behind everything. Please get it to the Pantheon as soon as possible," said Harold.

"Okay, I'll go!" said Josh, who took the backpack. It was surprisingly heavy, but nothing that Josh couldn't handle with his physique honed by templar training.

"Be careful," said Harold. Harold watched as Josh ran to the Pantheon building. Harold went the opposite way, to the other entrance of the park. He heard some rustling from behind and turned to see what it was.

Some time later, Abel and the Survivors entered the command tent from which Colonel Taro Fushimi commanded the Babelite forces. The commander was a black-haired Japanese man with a stern expression. He was clad in brown fatigues and carried a pistol in a holster by his hip. "Welcome, Ichihara and friends," said Fushimi.

"Hello, what's the problem?" asked Abel.

"I'll cut straight to the chase. A few days ago, Joshua Thompson had showed up at the Pantheon and dropped off copies of the accounting books from the Messian Blue Shield charity. One of our forensics experts took a cursory look and saw signs of a slush fund and money laundering scheme operating at the charity."

"Who released the books? Do you know?" asked Yuzu.

"We believe the leaker was Harold Harvey, an accountant for Blue Shield. His body had been found in the Blue Shield park behind some bushes. The city guard ruled out a robbery as he still had his wallet and Valis," replied Fushimi. "It was likely they were targeting him specifically."

"Is Joshua okay?" asked Yuzu.

Fushimi nodded. "Yeah," he replied.

"How does this money laundry relate to us?" asked Abel.

"The chain of deals links to the murderer of Father Paul," replied Fushimi.

"To Jason Shepherd? How?" asked Yuzu.

"Blue Shield took in money, but underreported its take in donations and grants to create a slush fund. A gopher would deposit this money in the Golden Bar Bank in Zolingham. A smithy in on the scheme would make equipment for the Messians, but overcharge that account and deposit some of the extra income back into accounts in the Orario Bank of Commerce. The Messians would then use these accounts to fund illegal activities," replied Fushimi.

"That includes Shepherd, I assume," said Abel.

"Yes, he got paid from some of these accounts," said Fushimi.

"Who in Blue Shield would know about this?" asked Atsuro.

"The board and accountants would definitely know, such as Harvey," replied Fushimi. "It just so happens that Grand Cardinal Zach is also a member of the board. This chain of money laundering certainly suggests that he had Father Paul killed. He never liked the moderate stance Paul held towards the gods. With Paul's death, he had removed the main obstacle preventing him and the extremists from taking over."

"After the Hestia Familia rescued the Thompson brothers, they cooled down their ardour to attack Loki members," said Abel. "Once Jason Shepherd sent that doppelganger to impersonate Ais, Zach got the perfect excuse to keep attacking the Loki Familia."

"So, the riots were really a cover to get at the Loki again," said Atsuro. "He did a lot of damage to the Ganesha Familia too."

"Yeah, but with the Hestia Familia's help, we thwarted his plans," said Midori.

"Aye," said Fushimi. "We're moving to arrest the Grand Cardinal for his involvement in this laundry scheme and the murder of Father Paul. You'll need to participate."

After the briefing, the Guild posted the findings resulting from the leak of the accounting books. A short time afterwards, the Ganesha Familia, Hestia Familia, the Survivors, and the Babelite army had surrounded the main church of the Messians along with the city guard. A crowd had gathered around outside, curious about what was happening. "Please bring out Grand Cardinal Zach. He has been charged with money laundering, skimming, embezzlement, and murder," said a lieutenant of the Orario guard.

"We will not hand over the Grand Cardinal," said a templar commander. "Leave our compound immediately!"

"If you do not hand him over within the next hour, we will be forced to storm your church!" stated the lieutenant of the guard.

The siege of the Messian compound continued for another hour, with both sides staring each other down, and neither budging. After that, the Orario guard marched towards the Messian line, resulting in both sides swinging at each other. In the confusion, Yog carried the Survivors over the fray to the cathedral, where they entered the Domain which encompassed it. They found themselves in a great hall of marble and gold, far larger than what the size of the cathedral would suggest.

Angels approached, ones which resembled men in black robes who were attached to wheels. These Thrones spewed fire and forced the Survivors to scatter for safety. A group of Powers closed to engage in close quarters. "Powers coming in too!" said Midori.

One of the Powers attempted to impale Abel, who raised a barrier reflexively. The spear sank into the violet barrier, seemingly disappearing into a void. The milky glow of newfound energy washed over Abel. He turned his hand into a vine, entwining and crushing the Power. Two of the Thrones spewed fire at him, forcing him to rear back. Abel formed a Seal of Bel on the ground, which began sapping the strength of his foes. With a blast of ice, he destroyed them.

Three other Thrones blasted Hector with flames, but the giant absorbed them. Hector launched into a flurry of punches, which pummelled them to their demise. "Their line is falling. Let's push through!" said Midori.

Yuzu hurled numerous air blades at the now scattered Thrones. They sliced through three, causing their bisected bodies to separate and disintegrate. Vidofnir arced electricity from its mouth, zapping a fourth out of the air. A fifth came in and blasted the golden rooster to the ground with flame. He quickly got upright and gazed at the angel with a grey glimmer in his eyes. The Throne turned into a stone statue. It tumbled out of the sky and shattered upon striking the ground.

"The leader's room is up ahead," said Atsuro.

Atsuro found a set of great golden double doors barring his way forward. Despite attempts to open it, they wouldn't budge. He decided to pound on the doors, which shuddered with each mighty blow. Hector joined him in pummelling down the door. After smashing the door off of its hinges, it crashed to the ground with a loud thud. Inside, they came face to face with more Thrones and a new type of angel.

This one was a Cherub, one of the highest of the heavenly orders. He was a man in violet robes and cap. He was seated on a throne of gold which rested on top of golden clouds. His throne's armrests resembled a bull and a lion, while the headrest resembled a backwards facing eagle. "Attack!" cried the Cherub.

Several Throne descended upon the intruding Survivors and immediately hurled flame. Yog took a direct hit and got bumped back in the air, but recovered. He launched dozens of orbs back. Three struck down Thrones before the others moved to evade. Scarlet appeared behind one of them and extended energy-leeching tendrils at him. He got caught, as did a nearby ally. Exhausted, the angels collapsed.

The others noticed her and spewed fire, but she absorbed the blasts. She fled back to Yog, who lobbed orbs to blast them out of the sky. Once she was safe, she donated the energy to him to restore his reserves. Nearby, Atsuro leapt and punched another angel out of the air. However, it recovered and flew back up. "We're at a disadvantage with them in the air like that," said Atsuro.

"I've got it," replied Abel.

He spawned a mass of vines from the roof of the chamber. They lashed out at two of the Thrones, entwining and crushing them to dust. The other angels descended to avoid the vines, exactly as Abel hoped they would. They had been forced to move closer to Atsuro, who ran in and punched one in the jaw. Viola came in from the right flank and cut down a second with a pair of clean slices. Orochi snapped at a third and bit off his torso.

The Cherub fired bolts of energy at Abel. The King of Bel simply absorbed the shots into his hand. The Cherub switched to a megido spell, setting off a massive violet explosion. Abel got knocked to the ground, suffering minor almighty burns. When he got up, the Cherub sent another megido, but he teleported away. The Cherub quickly located him behind and triggered an almighty explosion. Abel teleported again to evade, then tore open a fracture in reality which disintegrated the Cherub.

"We've secured the Domain, darling!" said Scarlet, wrapping her arms around Abel's.

Without the Cherub, the divine Domain soon vanished. The Survivors found themselves in the cathedral congregation area, surrounded by the Hestia Familia, Babelite soldiers, and Ganesha Familia members. "Hold your fire!" said one of the Babelites, gesturing for the others to stop. "They're friends."

"Sorry about appearing like this out of the blue. Did you find Grand Cardinal Zach?" asked Abel.

"No, he fled before we got in," replied Bell.

 **END OF CHAPTER**


	24. Friend 01 - Next Generation of Hestia

Disclaimer:  
DanMachi was created by Fujino Omori. Shin Megami Tensei was created by Atlus. This story uses reference material from them.

 **Demons of the Dungeon  
** **By: RB3  
** **Friendships 1: Next Generation of Hestia**

After the capture of the Messian cathedral, Grand Cardinal Zach had fled to parts unknown, having gone into hiding somewhere outside of the city. His abrupt and unexpected departure left a power vacuum in the Messian leadership of Orario. They were left incapacitated while the Guild continued the investigation and arrests for the money laundering scheme headed by Zach and the Blue Shield board. In the meantime, Orario returned to peace and a semblance of normalcy.

One young boy, Rye Baker, was about to get his first taste of an adventurer's life. Bell came to visit Maria's orphanage as part of an agreement between the Hestia Familia and Maria Martel to give Rye a taste of life as an adventurer. "Hi everybody!" said Bell.

"Hi Bell!" said Maria.

"Hey Bell!" said Rye.

"Hey! We start training today. Are you ready?" asked Bell.

"Yep, let's go," said Rye.

"Okay, good luck with your training Rye," said Maria. "Remember, stay out of the Dungeon!"

Bell took Rye to meet Lili in the Hestia Hall. "Rye, meet Lili, a member of my Familia. She is our Familia's main supporter. Hard to believe, but even Ais had to act as a supporter when she was starting out. You'll have to do the same. Lili will teach you what you need to know."

"Okay, ready to learn?" asked Lili.

"Sure! Where do we start?" asked Rye.

"First of all, every supporter need a good backpack," replied Lili. "I'm taking you out shopping for one."

"Good luck!" said Bell.

Lili brought Rye to a general goods store just a few blocks from the Hestia Hall. She showed him racks and shelves filled with a large assortment of backpacks of various materials and sizes. Some were far too large for him and he lacked the strength to carry them. In the end, Rye chose a rectangular backpack made of strong, dark brown leather. "How about this one? I like how snugly it fits," said Rye.

"If that one's comfortable and fits you, get it," said Lili.

"Okay," said Rye.

The two returned to the Hestia Hall, where Hestia filled Rye's backpack with boxes of magic croquettes. "Okay, make deliveries to these people," said Hestia, providing him and Lili with a list.

The first person on the list was Dionysus, the god of grapes, wine, and revelry. Rye and Lili went to his manor and Familia home, where they found the god waiting by the gate. He was a man with long, blond hair and dressed like a nobleman in his violet jacket. Lili fetched his order, two boxes with a dozen croquettes each. "Thank you Lili. My Familia will enjoy these," said Dionysus.

After running around town, delivering more orders from the Familia for croquettes, the sun began to set. Lili and Rye returned home. Rye was out of breath from running around town carrying such a heavy load. Fortunately, his cargo got lighter with successful delivery. "So, how did you feel about your first day?" asked Lili upon returning to the Hestia Hall with Rye.

"Tired," replied Rye, panting. "I was running around, delivering croquettes all day."

"At least you got some exercise. As a supporter, you'll be running around like that in the Dungeon," said Lili. "Just think of these deliveries as a way of getting in shape."

Bell had arrived home from activities elsewhere in town. He looked much more beat up than Rye did. "Let me guess, training with Ais Wallenstein again?" asked Lili.

"Yeah," replied Bell.

"You have to train too?" asked Rye.

"Of course, there's always new things to learn," replied Bell. "Come on, I'll take you home."

The two returned to the orphanage, where Maria received her ward from Bell. "Welcome back, Rye! How was your first day of training?" asked Maria.

"It was tiring, but I got to see a lot of the town. Lili had me deliver croquettes to all these other Familia," replied Rye. "I wanted to practice sword fighting."

"We all have to start somewhere," said Maria.

"Cheer up, we're going to have you meet Welf tomorrow. You'll get to practice with weapons then," said Bell.

"Awesome!" said Rye.

"Okay, see you tomorrow Bell," said Maria.

The next day, Bell brought Rye over to Welf's forge, where the smith had laid out wooden training weapons in a rack. "Hello kid. So you want to be an adventurer?" asked Welf.

"Of course! It's my dream!" said Rye.

"All adventurers need a good weapon. Once you officially join our Familia, I'll become your personal smith," said Welf. "Come to me for new weapons and armour."

"Cool!" said Rye.

"Uhuh, today, I made some wooden weapons for training. They're on the rack over there," said Welf. "What kind would you like?"

Rye glanced over the assorted weapons and shields on the rack. They ranged from daggers and short swords to axes and spears. Rye showed his teacher a sword and heater shield combination. "I'll use these," said Rye.

"A defensive combo... Okay!" said Welf. "Let's begin. I'll train you in some basic sword fighting."

Rye readied his equipment and faced off with Welf. Rye tried to strike Welf with the wooden training sword, but wound up for the blow, telegraphing his swing too visibly. Welf easily parried it and tapped Rye's shoulder with his weapon. "Don't wind back so much on your swings. You're letting Welf know how you will attack," said Bell.

Rye nodded then resumed practice. Welf went for an overhead chop, but Rye blocked with his shield. He tried a side swing, but Rye stayed behind his shield and let it take the hit. Rye countered with a thrust, but Welf parried, then knocked Rye's sword out of his hand. "Good, that was one full exchange," said Welf.

Rye retrieved his weapon. He, Welf, and Bell continued to train until the sun started to set for the day. Bell returned Rye to the orphanage, to the waiting arms of Maria. "How was your day?" asked Maria.

"Great! I learned so much about fighting from Welf and Bell," replied Rye.

Maria smiled. "Bell, thank you for training Rye. It seems he really does want to be an adventurer," said Maria.

"Yeah, I can see it in his eyes while we trained," said Bell. "He was just like me when I first started out. I'll help him reach the top. We'll all help him."

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After the attack by the angels during the Monsterphilia riots, the Loki Familia was left in shambles. Their home, the Twilight Manor, lay in ashes and being cleared by work crews from the city. One worker smashed down the charred remains of a support strut, which landed with a thud. In the nearest hospital, Silas delivered a gift to a group of Loki members were recovering in bed. The wounded had suffered numerous cuts and burns from battling the angels.

While they rebuilt, the Loki Familia had rented out various apartments and houses to shelter all of their remaining members. The senior officers of the Loki Familia had rented out an apartment complex which could house more than a quarter of the Familia, including the goddess Loki. With their home's reconstruction and the need to acquire all these emergency accommodations, their finances got hammered. Even with their losses, the Loki were still strong in number.

Loki and Finn, Riveria, and Gareth, her Familia's senior officers, met with Hestia, Bell, Lili, Welf, and Abel at a cafe. Abel had treated the group to lunch as they discussed the joint expedition. "We would like to know, how will this joint expedition go?" asked Finn.

"It's simple. We'll provide training over two weeks as we make preparations for the expedition," replied Abel. "This includes seminars on how to approach demons and training facilities for swordsmanship, martial arts, archery, and so on."

"I'll also make a special artefact which will grant your Familia a special power," said Welf.

Abel nodded. "Afterwards, the Babelites will provide support as the Familia gathered here hunt F68, the Last Reverie, for magic stones and treasures," continued Abel. "This floor is massive, but my friends and I scouted this place called the Earth Cave in the southwest part of the floor. The outside marshes are inhabited by Lv3 monsters, but the cave itself has Lv7 monsters and chests filled with treasures. Your junior members will hunt outside, while the big boys tackled the cave. There is a nearby town you can use as a base of operations."

"What if Lv7 monsters were to wander in on our lower level members?" asked Loki.

"This is where my team and the Babelities come in. We will remain on standby in the area to respond to distress calls. We'll provide communication devices. Don't worry, your Familia will be in good hands," replied Abel. "Since the big boys will be underground, we won't be able to respond to them as quickly, so be careful."

"Okay, but what about the Hestia Familia?" asked Finn. "None of your people are Lv7 yet. Even in my own Familia, only us three and Ais are Lv7."

"Actually, we have that covered," replied Hestia. "We have an edge that will let us compete directly with those Lv7 monsters."

After discussing the remaining details, the meeting was adjourned. "Okay, everything is good. Thank you for this opportunity," said Finn. The gathered parties shook hands before departing.

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As the week went by, the Loki and Hestia Familia made preparations for the joint expedition. Bell went out to the orphanage to take Rye on some of his last training sessions before the big event. "Ah Bell! You're here for Rye, right?" asked Maria.

"Yep," replied Bell. "My Familia will be going on an expedition with the Loki Familia soon."

"You're going on an expedition? With the Sword Princess?" asked Rye.

"Yep," replied Bell. "We wanted to do this for a while now. After we saw the angels burn down their home, we knew it was time. Before we go, we've got training, so you can still come with us next weekend, meet new people."

"Cool!" said Rye.

"Yep, and we're giving you a present," said Bell. "The Goddess will give you your very own Falna!"

"Oh, wow! Thank you!" said Rye.

"That's great Rye! Good luck with your training," said Maria.

Bell brought Rye to Hestia's room in the Hestia Hall. After he removed his shirt and laid prone of the bed, the goddess smeared blood down Rye's bare back. The brazier-like tattoo of Hestia's Falna appeared. She then pressed a parchment to his back. "This is how we give updates to your abilities," said Hestia, giving the parchment for Rye to read. "I is the lowest rank and goes all the way up to A, then to S."

 **Rye Baker  
** Lv 1

Str: H  
Vit: H  
Dex: I  
Agi: I  
Mgc: I

 **Skills  
** Bulwark (blocking creates protective dome-like barrier, costs mind)

"Oh! You've got a new skill, Bulwark," said Hestia. "This lets you put up a barrier to protect people behind you. Get some practice with it while my Familia is around to help."

"Okay, thank you Goddess Hestia!" said Rye.

Hestia moved to allow Rye to stand up and replace his shirt. "Time to go to the kitchen. We've got a special snack for you," said Hestia. They went to the kitchen, where she served him a magic croquette. Rye bit into it and received a rush of sweetness. The croquette had a red bean flavour, designed to be a dessert. "This will help you level up faster. Train hard Rye."

"Of course!" said Rye.

Rye proceeded to help Lili make her deliveries of croquettes for the day. Since he was in much better shape now, they finished the delivery in half the time. For the remainder of the day, they joined Kaz in the outskirts of town. He used ice magic to create life-like models of dead killer ants. "For this exercise, you'll need to put on gloves. Supporters are asked to gather magic stones and drops from the monsters the adventurers slay. Sometimes, monsters don't vanish properly, so we'll need to carve them up to get to the good stuff."

Rye put on gloves and kept a knife ready. Lili made incisions on a dead killer ant to show Rye the technique in opening the tough hide on a monster. Rye repeated the technique, then pulled out a lump of crystalline ice representing the magic stone. "Here!" said Rye.

"Good work!" said Kaz.

The next day, Rye continued with training with Bell, Kaz, and Morgana in front of Welf's shack. Bell was the first to spar with him, using dual wooden knives. Bell went for a slash to the head, but Rye blocked it and Bell's follow-up to the ribs. Rye made a chop to the shoulder, but Bell parried. Bell kicked Rye away, but the boy recovered and dashed in for a thrust. Bell sidestepped and went for the left shoulder. Rye quickly blocked.

"Good work, Rye," said Bell. "Don't leave blind spots. Don't get tunnel vision."

Rye also practiced his new skill, Bulwark, by protecting Morgana from Kaz's hailstorm. "Yeah, that's the ticket. Keep it up!" said Welf as the pebbles of ice rained on the Bulwark.

"Okay, it's going to get more intense. Hope you're ready," said Kaz.

The light hail became a torrent of icy stones pelting the golden dome Rye had erected to protect himself and Morgana. "Hold on! You can do it Rye!" said Morgana.

Rye gritted his teeth, holding his position and the Bulwark. Eventually, Kaz stopped the ice and Rye let out a gasp of relief. "Half a minute... Pretty good," said Welf.

For the afternoon, the group travelled to Girimehkala's colosseum Domain in the Babelite base. "This is where we'll be training next weekend," said Bell. "For now, we've got the place to ourselves."

For the exercise, Kaz summoned a dozen goblin clones made out of ice. Bell and Welf took sides with Rye. "Okay, we're going to simulate combat in a party. Take point and guard the front," said Welf. "Bell and I have your flanks."

Kaz sicced the goblins against the trio. One went straight for Rye, who blocked his goblin from pouncing and pushed it off his shield. He then clubbed the goblin with his wooden training sword. It shattered to pieces and melted. A second shot in, but Rye was quicker and stabbed the goblin through the head. Another tried to sneak in from the right, but Welf intercepted and chopped it in half. Another tried a head-on attack, and Rye raised his shield and deflected its claws.

Rye countered, shattering it with a swing to the head. Another tried to pounce on him, but a quick shield bash shattered it to pieces. Rye noticed a half dozen goblins tried to pounce on the group. He raised a Bulwark and protected his party from harm. Rye hacked both of the goblins nearest to him. After Welf and Bell cut down theirs, none remained. "Good work," said Kaz. After a few more sessions against monster clones, Bell took him back to Hestia for another update.

 **Rye Baker  
** Lv 1

Str: G  
Vit: F  
Dex: H  
Agi: H  
Mgc: H

 **Skills  
** Bulwark

"Nice work Rye. Have a look," said Hestia.

"Wow, all my stats are H now," said Rye.

"Your training is paying off. Soon, we'll let you use real weapons, and one day we will take you into the Dungeon," said Hestia. "Before you go, Bell will take you to the Guild."

"Okay, thank you for being so patient with me," said Rye.

"Don't worry about it. Everyone starts somewhere," said Hestia.

Bell took Rye over to the great Pantheon building, the home base of the Guild. He introduced the boy to Eina Tulle, his advisor and handler at the Guild. "So Rye, you're a new adventurer?" asked Eina.

"Yeah, Bell and the Hestia Familia started training me," replied Rye.

Rye handed Eina a copy of the current status of his Falna. "Hmm... You could manage the first floor, maybe the second, but I still wouldn't advise it. Wait until you get more training in. Even then, it's much better to have someone else in your party," said Eina.

"Okay," replied Rye. "They won't let me go in anyway, not until I get more training."

"Listen to them. They're the pros," said Eina. She helped Rye to fill out the forms for his registration into the Guild.

Afterwards, Bell brought Rye home to the orphanage. "Welcome back Rye! How was your day?" asked Maria.

"It was great! Kaz made a bunch of fake monsters out of ice and so I could fight them," replied Rye. "I got my Falna and my first status update from goddess Hestia."

"It must have been exciting," said Maria.

"Yeah, I did so much. I feel like I'm closer to being an adventurer than ever," said Rye.

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The Loki Familia filed into the massive colosseum Domain created by Girimehkala, who stood in the middle of the arena floor. They took seats on the eastern side of the building, while the Hestia took the west. To the north were the Survivors and their demons with Abel on the throne at the head of the colosseum. Loki took the throne on her side of the arena, flanked by her top senior officers and longest serving Familia members.

"Welcome, one and all, to this event. For the next few weeks, we'll give you in-depth training against demons and angels and how to adapt to their unique traits and abilities," said Abel. "For our first event, we'll have a volunteer from the Loki Familia spar with Girimehkala in the arena."

"I'll do the honours," said Ais.

"Yeah, go Sword Princess!" said Loki.

Ais hopped into the arena and grabbed a wooden sword from a rack on the side. When given the word, she charged at the one-eyed elephant demon for a slice to the belly. Her blow exposed a once invisible barrier, resulting in her getting hurled back. She crashed into the retaining board and slid down, landing on her knees. While not seriously hurt, she was startled and stunned by this unusual turn of events.

"If you attack me physically, something GOOD will happen!" said Girimehkala slyly.

Before Ais could do anything else, Girimehkala charged forward and tried to chop her. Ais parried and held fast as he applied pressure onto her. She eventually deflected the weapon, which veered to the ground. As her foe tried to retract it, she wheeled around him and got to his back. She turned on Ariel and ran the whirling winds into his back. Girimehkala got pushed into the clear protective board, his face pressed against it.

When Ais backed away, Girimehkala slumped to his knees, but quickly stood back up and faced her. "Impressive!" stated Abel.

"Good work Ais! I knew you could do it!" said Loki.

"As you just saw, demons can have numerous resistances and immunities. Girimehkala reflected Ais' attack, but she realized it and quickly changed tactics. As another option, she could have grabbed one of those grenades at the head of the arena," said Abel. "When you go to face with a demon, keep that presence of mind. Stronger demons have stronger and more resistances, so it can require trial and error to figure out how to attack them."

Over the next few weeks, the participants paired off to spar, against each other and Babelite demons. "Hey!" cried one of the Loki members to Bell.

"Oh, Silas! There you are!" said Bell.

"Hi Bell, who's that with you?" asked Silas.

"This is Rye Baker, our newest member," said Bell.

"Oh, a new recruit! I'm kind of in the same boat too," said Silas.

"So, what level are you now?" asked Bell.

"I'm Lv3," replied Silas. "I just reached it after the riots while I was fighting those angels with the others."

"Say, why don't the two of you spar a bit?" asked Bell. "I want to get as much training with Ais while she's still available."

"So I take it Rye is a Lv1?" asked Silas.

"Yep, just got my Falna a week or two ago," said Rye.

"Okay, I'll give you a good workout," said Silas.

Silas and Rye went to an unused sparring arena off to the side of the colosseum Domain. Bell himself sought out Ais and started a sparring session with her. As their two weeks of training came to a close, Abel held a king of the hill game. The entire Loki Familia stood on a massive platform suspended over soft padding by magic. The Loki Familia had to hold this platform until time ran out, or all attackers had been eliminated by being thrown off the platform.

The first invaders to enter the fray were a dozen Pixies, some of the weakest demons there were. They flew in and zapped random members of the Loki Familia with lightning. The Loki Familia tried to block these attacks as their mages prepared simple wind spells to blow the pixies off the platform. The next to come were Momunofu, demons who resembled samurai. They advanced with spears drawn, clashing with the Loki Familia.

Bete faced one and kicked it hard in the chest, knocking him off of the platform. "You go!" cheered Loki from the stands.

The third to come were Power angels, clones of the real thing produced by the Domain. They descended and one scooped a Loki member and dumped him in the abyss. The archers spewed arrows into the air, trying to bring the angels down. Riveria cast a Wynn Fimbulvetr which filled the entire sky with ice. Several of the Powers were blown back and frozen in blocks of ice. They descended off the edge and tumbled into the abyss.

The fourth to come were Ose demons, which resembled leopard men armed with dual swords. The Loki Familia clashed with these demons, blade against blade. Ais kicked one near the edge, just short of knocking it off. She turned on Ariel and dashed at it, blowing it over the edge. She spotted another and darted to it, sending it over the edge. Finn used his spear to jab one who had been forced back by Raul's attack. Stunned as a result, Raul kicked the Ose off of the platform.

The fifth to come were Asura demons. These red-skinned men with three heads and six arms rushed the Loki Familia with fists flying, boring an opening in their line. The Hiryute sisters moved to close the breach. Tiona clubbed an Asura with a wooden Urga replica, causing it to stumble back. With a frontal kick, she knocked the Asura near the edge. Tione hurled daggers at it, forcing it to try to evade. It slipped and tumbled into the abyss.

After pushing all of the Asuras off the edge, those Lv4 and higher remained in the Loki Familia. The sixth to come in was the Hestia Familia in its entirety. "You're going down!" said Welf.

"Bring it!" said Tione.

Welf parried Tione's kukris as he ran in to meet her. When they closed, Welf tried to slash her, but Tione quickly backpedaled. She suddenly darted forward, stabbing Welf in the chest with the wooden daggers. The Crozzo smith was taken aback and got kicked to the ground. He got up, then parried more throwing daggers. He noticed Riveria casting a spell, then sent a Will O' Wisp her way. The sparks blew up her spell, taking her aback. Tione dashed in, but he kicked her away and bounced onto his feet.

Wiene put Riveria in a Garnet Trance, causing her to wobble around in a daze. She then swooped down and snatched Riveria by the shoulders. The two wrestled for control, eventually loosening Wiene's grip. Riveria fell close to the edge, still on the safe side. Suddenly, Kaz blasted her with an ice beam, finally sending her over. "Riveria!" cried Tione.

However, Lefiya had a Fusillade Fallarica ready for casting and released it. Welf held up his sword to try to draw in and dissipate the blasts of flame. He got ten of them, but one of them landed close to Lili, knocking her to the ground. "Lili!" he cried.

Kaz fired an ice beam at Lefiya, toppling her. Bete was quickly upon him with a flying kick. Kaz caught Bete's foot and leeched the heat from it. As Bete winced in pain, Kaz emitted an ice beam, pushing Bete back to the centre. Tiona ran up and tried to kick him, but he got an ice shield up in time to block. Tiona slashed away with the wooden Urga, pressing the offence and pushing Kaz back until a final kick sent him over the edge.

Morgana and Gareth faced off from each other. The venerable dwarf came in for a swing, but Morgana somersaulted over. Morgana swiped at Gareth's head, but the dwarf parried. Morgana landed and hurled tornadoes at him. Gareth blocked them with his axe, then charged. Morgana managed to leap out of the way and Gareth stopped. He tried to get the dwarf again with wind, but Gareth turned quickly and blocked it.

Ais kicked Bell in the face, launching him backwards. He corrected into a hand stand and pushed off to land on his feet. He then darted in with a pair of dagger strikes, both of which Ais parried. Bell kicked her in the belly. He sent a Firebolt her way, but she evaded it. Bell came in with another pair of dagger strikes, which Ais parried. She deflected the blade and thrust, grazing Bell as he moved to the side. The two stared each other down, looking for an opening to exploit.

Tione kicked Welf near the edge. With a following onslaught of slashes, she sent Welf over the edge. As he fell, he sent a Will O' Wisp at Lefiya, blowing up her Arcs Ray spell. A Kusanagi exploded near Tione, engulfing her in blue flames and sending her over the edge in flames. Ryu darted in for an attack against Raul, who quickly parried the blow. As the two locked weapons, Anakity ran in, forcing Ryu to break the stalemate to parry her dagger.

Ryu suddenly released the Luminous Wind spell she was concurrently chanting, blowing both Loki members to the ground. They slid along it for a distance, then tumbled off of the edge. A buzzer went off. "Time! The Loki Familia wins!" said Abel.

"Awesome!" cheered Loki.

"Congratulations!" said Abel.

After king of the hill, everyone took a day of rest before their big adventure in the Dungeon. That day, they returned briefly to the colosseum Domain. Loki waited in the centre for Welf to bring out an object covered by a cloth. When Welf removed the cover, he revealed that it was a mask much like the face of the clown-like Loki Familia symbol. It had a sinister smile. It was known as the Mask of Loki and was resting on a bed of magic stones in a wooden box.

As a Familia artefact, its very existence made it more difficult for monsters to detect members of the Loki Familia. Any form of hostile or revealing action would void the effect, allowing monsters to notice the Familia. It was perfect for sneaking around, setting up ambushes, and getting the first strike in. The mask's second ability was to accelerate gains in dexterity, enabling the Familia to reach SS rank. It also allowed the adventurer to build up the dexterity of previous levels to make up for a shortfall in reaching SS rank.

"We present this powerful artefact to you, Loki, and the members of your Familia to commemorate this special occasion," said Abel. "Use it well, and remember to always keep the mask charged by storing it on a bed of magic stones. "

"Thank you Lord Abel, for you generosity. My Familia and I appreciate all that you've done for us," said Loki.

"Let's have a round of applause for the goddess," said Abel. Loki held up the mask to the applause of her Familia. "Rest well today and be refreshed for the big expedition tomorrow."

 **END OF CHAPTER**


	25. Friend 02 - The Rotting Earth

Disclaimer:  
DanMachi was created by Fujino Omori. Shin Megami Tensei was created by Atlus. This story uses reference material from them.

 **Demons of the Dungeon  
** **By: RB3  
** **Friendships 2: The Rotting Earth**

The Survivors and the Loki and Hestia Familia gathered at the square in front of Babel Tower, the entrance to the Dungeon. The flags of each group flapped in the wind, identifying them to the crowd which started to gather around them. This was a big event, to have so many elite adventurers and even Babelites present in a single location. Many were strangers who idolized these Familia, while others knew them personally as friends and acquaintances.

Finn ran up to the front to address the groups in attendance. "Welcome everyone! Today is the big day. We head to F68 to show those bottom floor monsters who's boss," said Finn.

"Yeah!" cheered the gathered expedition members.

"To avoid overcrowding the portal station, we'll head to F68 in three waves. Abel will lead the first group with the Hestia Familia, I will lead the second, and Gareth will lead the last. Once we convene in Order City, the Babelites will transport our higher levelled members to Claymore City. Our goals are simple. Explore the Dungeon, collect as much loot as we can, and rebuild our devastated Familia."

The assembled expedition cheered raucously. As they filed out, the crowd parted to open them a path. As the Hestia Familia walked with the expedition, Bell smiled and nodded to Rye, Maria, and other orphans in the crowd. "Go get 'em Bell!" cried Rye. Bell nodded and smiled.

Haruhime saw the Take Mikazuchi Familia and waved to Ouka, Mikoto, and the rest. Welf saw Hephaestus as well as Tsubaki. The latter was a brown-skinned, half-dwarf who wore an eye patch. She was the captain of the smithing Familia. He gave them a thumbs up and a smile to acknowledge them. Bell saw Mord Latro and his sidekicks and waved at them. Lili saw Soma and his entourage, who were gracious enough to see her off, despite their past differences. Ryu saw the staff of the Hostess of Fertility wave to her as she passed by.

The Loki Familia had friends of their own in the crowd. Lefiya saw a black-haired elven woman wave at her from the crowd. She was Filvis, a friend from the Dionysus Familia. Lefiya waved back to her. Ais saw Lulune, Asfi, and the rest of the Hermes Familia. Having worked the Dungeon with both the Hestia and Loki Familia, everyone were friends and acquaintances. Abel led the first team to the portal station and through the portals, and they appeared in a sheltered lot beside a merchant's home.

There was a Babelite occupation force already present in the city, with demons and human soldiers patrolling the streets. Abel met the captain of the force and explained the situation to him. The captain pointed to the inn and the nearby houses to the southwest. "Ah yes. If they need shelter, they can use the houses and inn over there," reported the unit captain. "We left the shops alone, so the guests can have the merchandise."

"Thank you," said Abel.

Finn's group entered the city and claimed the southwest houses as a set of sleeping quarters. They also claimed the inn as a meeting area and mess hall. They also prepared the town's hospital as an infirmary. Gareth's group finally entered the city through the portal. The Loki supporters fanned out to each of the shops and started claiming various valuables. They carried them to their armory, the basement of merchant's home marked by a crude, wooden sign painted with a white sword and shield.

Once the Loki Familia had set up in Order City, the Babelites airlifted the higher levelled members and the Hestia Familia to Claymore City in the west. Unlike the pristine Order City, Claymore City was true to its name. Much of the ground was barren clay which smelled of death. The city appeared to be in ruins, with many walls smashed to rubble. A river separated the northern buildings, which included an armour shop, from the rest of town. There were graveyards in the west, southwest, and northeast part of the city.

Abel found the local Babelite captain. "Greetings, Ichihara," said the captain. "It seems this is the natural state of the town. When we repaired the buildings, the Dungeon broke them back the way they were."

"Okay, we'll have to make do with what we have," said Abel.

The Loki Familia found the inn and began preparing rooms. The Hestia Familia found a nearby pair of houses which were still intact and used them as temporary abodes, one for the women and the neighbouring one for the men. The Loki supporters, Raul, Lefiya, and Anakity, raided the shops and cleaned out anything that might be of use and stashed their loot in the cellar of the inn. Soon, Babelite Rocs brought in the first wave of the midlevel Loki members.

Once they had set up in Claymore, the first party to depart was the Survivors, to go on patrol for stray Lv7 monsters. The next was a midlevel party from the Loki Familia, to hunt and train in the outer world. The last was the main group, a union of the Hestia Familia and Loki Familia officers. They made their way to the west and south to the Earth Cave. Along the way, they crossed kilometres of clay ground where nothing grew except for small oases filled with plants.

The land smelled foul, like a rotting corpse and it was fairly hot and humid. "Ew!" said Lefiya pinching her nose shut, while trying to loosen her shirt. She felt cool air radiating from Kaz, and moved closer to him. "Kaz, please stay close to me."

Tione could feel the same coolness radiating from him. "Yeah, it's much cooler here," said Tione, moving closer to him, so that he was sandwiched between the two girls.

"Could you not crowd me so much?" asked Kaz. "Here, I'll extend the cool air. Is that better?"

The entire party felt the temperature lower, just enough to be comfortable. "Ah, that's much better!" said Tiona. "Hey Argonaut, now that I think of it, this is the first time we've ever been on an expedition on the same team."

"Yeah, actually... yeah," said Bell. "Ever since I met you guys, I've always wanted to work the Dungeon with you."

"Here's your chance!" said Tiona.

"Most of all, I want to be by her side and for her to acknowledge me," said Bell, glancing at Ais, not realizing that the Hiryute sisters had heard him.

"Hey Ais! Looks like you have a secret admirer!" said Tione.

"Huh? Who?" asked Ais.

"Hey wait!" said Bell, turning beet red from the Hiryute Sisters' teasing.

Bete only got annoyed by this display. "Bah, how can you let wimps like him hang around with us?" asked Bete.

"Don't underestimate them, Bete. They've done a lot to fight the demons and angels," said Finn.

In the back lines, Lefiya and Anakity played with Morgana. "I never knew you had such a cute mascot!" said Anakity, patting Morgana's head.

"Yeah, he's so adorable!" said Lefiya, petting Morgana, who purred softly.

"Say, where did you come from, Morgana?" asked Finn. "I've never seen anyone like you."

"I'm from the Metaverse. You know about the Babelites and how they came from another world?" asked Morgana.

"Yeah," replied Finn.

"The Metaverse is a different world, different than theirs," said Morgana.

"So you're not a demon?" asked Riveria.

"No," replied Morgana.

"Morgana is different, but his abilities do have some similarity to demonic power," said Kaz.

"I'm a bit of a scholar myself. Please tell me more. Your ability is called 'Persona,' right?" asked Riveria.

"Yep," replied Morgana.

"Who else back home had this ability?" asked Riveria.

"My friends, of course," replied Morgana. "I haven't met anyone else, but Lord Abel has, and he told me stories about them. Back home, there's a famous celebrity named Rise Kujikawa. I was surprised to find that she was also a Persona user, with abilities similar to Oracle's and mine."

"So it's a rare ability back home... How do you get a Persona?" asked Riveria.

"I'm not sure, but I think it has to do with being in the Metaverse," replied Morgana.

"Is yours the only kind of Persona there are?" asked Riveria.

"No, there are others," replied Morgana. "Like I said, Oracle and Rise have scanning abilities like I do, but my other friends all have combat Personas."

The group had crossed an isthmus which separated the mainland of Claymore City from the triangular island which housed the Earth Cave. They travelled around a mountain and found the Earth Cave entrance. The interior was a series of wide, rocky tunnels with earthen ground. On the first floor, they found themselves in a square chamber with the entry ramp. Before they moved, the group's mages prepared spells to protect the party.

Riveria cast the Veil Breath spell. It weaved a green cocoon around the group, protecting them from all forms of attack. Haruhime cast Kokonoe, forming nine golden tails, each of which got loaded with a charge of Uchide no Kozuchi. She unleashed the charges on the Lv6 Loki junior officers and her Familia, save for herself and Lili. "That fox girl's spell is great! I feel lighter and stronger!" remarked Bete.

"Yeah, I feel like I can take on the whole Dungeon by myself! What is it?" asked Tione.

"It boosts our power. With this spell, we're strong enough to take on the Lv7 monsters despite our lower levels," replied Kaz.

"Ah, an enhancement spell," said Riveria. "I see."

Kaz nodded. He then held out the palm of his hand to the other mages. A wisps of blue energy streamed out to them, restoring Riveria and Haruhime's mind. Haruhime then cast Kokonoe, loading it with the Yata no Kagami spell. She released Kokonoe's charges, which formed a layer of glittering, diamond-like light around the team. "A protective spell," said Gareth, looking at the aura.

"Another rare spell! She's a renard, so it's not unexpected," said Riveria.

"So, we drew the oddballs. Can't say I mind having this strange magic on our side," said Bete.

The group decided to go to the west and approached a bend to the south. "That hallway is a colosseum of Lv7 Goliath Centurions, according to information from Lord Abel," said Lili, unfurling a map.

"I'm up for a scrap. Bring 'em on!" said Bete.

"Form a line here, and lure them over, Bell," said Finn pointing at Lili's annotated map.

"Okay, here I go!" said Bell.

Bell ran into the hallway and as soon as he did, the hallway started to shake. The walls started to crumble as a group of Goliaths smashed their way out. Unlike normal Goliaths, who were naked giants, these ones wore Bronze Age armour and looked like centurions. They also carried gigantic weapons ranging from swords and maces. Bell sent a Firebolt at the head of the nearest Goliath. Its head got blown off, felling it and leaving behind a magic stone.

When Bell fled and rejoined the group in the northern tunnel, Kaz put an ice patch all the way across the width of the hall. When the first three Goliaths rounded the corner, they blundered onto the ice, slipping and having their momentum carry them feet first towards the group. Bete leapt onto the first Goliath and landed with a fatal stomp the chest. The Hiryute Sisters met the other two and hacked them to death with a pair of kukris, and Urga, the double-bladed sword.

The next trio rounded the corner and crossed the ice more carefully, bracing the wall for stability. Bell baited one into trying to stab him, dodged the attack, and got its sword lodged into the ground. Bell scaled the weapon, then the giant's arm, and made a pair of slashes on the shoulder. After leaping into a trio of slashes to the face, the Goliath collapsed. He fired three Firebolts on the way down, killing that Goliath.

A second trio came around the corner and reared back for a deep breath. "They're going to shoot!" cried Lili, firing arrows at the first of the new trio.

Despite getting impaled by arrows, the giants ignored Lili's attack. Welf sent a Will O' Wisp at one, exploding its magic, along with its head. The explosion also caused the Goliath to stumble about and bump the second, causing it to misfire into the roof. The last successfully released its scream, but Welf held up his sword. The sonic wave funnelled into the blade and dissipated harmlessly. Wiene put the remaining Goliaths in a Garnet Trance. The giants stumbled about in a daze, left vulnerable for a few precious seconds.

Wiene then pelted them with Garnet Bolts, blowing them up. "Look alive, more are coming!" cried Gareth.

Six Goliath Centurions rounded the corner. Kaz unleashed violet tendrils of energy upon them. They ripped the very life and mind from the giants, restoring Kaz's reserves. The giants crumbled into dust soon after. Another six tried to rush the team, but Kaz set a hail storm upon them. The countless bullet-like ice pellets pelted the giants and forced them to cower in the face of the storm. They slipped on the ones lying on the ground, landing with a thud. The sheer cold soon brought them to a hypothermic death.

Another two dozen crowded their way towards the expedition, but the expedition's fighters met them and kept them pinned around the corner. Haruhime cast a Kusanagi upon the entire area. The swords pelted and ignited not only the Goliaths, but her own team. "Watch your fire!" cried Finn.

"Don't worry!" said Haruhime. "This only hurts them. We can get it on us and spread it to them."

"She's right. I'm not getting burned at all," said Ais.

In fact, her Ariel barrier had collected the Foxfire and spun it in a circle. She darted to three Goliaths and sliced each as she passed by. Her wind added to the damage with several blows which ignited new Foxfires on the Goliaths' bodies. The first two fell instantly, but the last still stood. A Foxfire got ignited on its body, spreading rapidly and consuming it entirely. Gareth dipped his axe into Foxfire, then met an incoming trio. He slashed each of them, spreading the Foxfire which spread from the cuts and burnt the giants.

The expedition cut down giant after giant with their weapons. With a Fusillade Fallarica, Lefiya downed another two dozen in a mass of exploding streams of fire. Riveria followed with a massive Rea Laevateinn, filling the hallway with columns of flame. Another two dozen fell to it, leaving magic stones. After mowing down a few dozen additional giants, the hallway became littered with hundreds of magic stones. Kaz washed them into a pile with water so the supporters could gather them easily.

As Kaz replenished the mind of the expedition's mages, the others started a conversation. "Wow! How many giants did we down?" asked Tione. "I lost count after fifty."

"A hundred," replied Morgana.

"I counted more than a hundred magic stones on the ground," said Raul.

"That must be my skill. It must have created those extra little ones," said Lili.

"So it's a hundred meow," said Anakity.

"That was just our first battle, and we've already taken in more than two days worth of income in the Dungeon!" said Finn.

"We still haven't found the good stuff yet," said Morgana. "I detect rooms with treasure to the north and south of the entry stairs. Let's go there and nab 'em."

After exploring both directions recommended by Morgana, the Loki Familia emptied three treasure rooms in total. They took the east tunnel to reach Earth Cave B2. Unlike Earth Cave B1, this floor was a series of rooms which partially overlapped the neighbouring ones. They passed through this floor without incident, finding rooms with treasure chests in the south and northeast. They got to B3 by a staircase in the southeast.

B3 also had overlapping rooms, but was a roughly spiral path with detours for looting treasure rooms. They reached the centre of the floor, which had the largest chamber. As soon as the entire group entered the room, the walls and even the ground started to crack. A group of creatures started to crawl out of the openings resembling. They were torsos made of soil and rock, with thick arms almost like tree trunks. They were earth elementals.

Finn leapt away, narrowly avoiding being clubbed an earth elemental's fist. He charged in and unleashed a series of rapid thrusts with his spears. Holes started to form in the earth elemental, but it would not fall just yet. It swung at Finn, making a wide miss as he jumped out of the way. "They may be tough, but aren't too quick," remarked Finn.

Ryu zipped to a quintet of elementals, delivering a cut to one as she sailed by. They tried to swing at her with their arms, but she moved far too fast for the slow elementals to hit. As she bounced around, she chanted the words to Luminous Wind. Once they were herded together, she released the Luminous Wind. It cast numerous blasts of green-tinted air which pulverized the earth elementals into dust.

Haruhime summoned a pair of illusory Deformis Spiders. They ran along the wall and intercepted a pair of earth elementals spawning from the back wall. They spewed webbing upon the elementals, getting them stuck. The elementals started pulling on the webbing to free themselves, but only spread the sticky coating further. Kaz's Asura pummelled them with dozens of punches until they were pulverized.

The expedition found a hatch covering the staircase down at the far end of the room. Tiona stomped the slab-like covering, shattering it to pieces. "Now we can go down," said Tiona.

B4 of the Earth Cave was darker than the previous floors, but still had the same layout of overlapping rooms. They found a treasure room to the south and a second one to the east of their starting point. They eventually found the staircase down to B5, the deepest level and heart of the Earth Cave. After entering a square room to the north, a dozen trolls barred their path. Tiona and Tione charged into the group and cut them down. Kaz felled another with an ice beam through the head.

They reached the door to the final room of the Earth Cave. "The Bone King is right through this door. We're going to defeat him," said Finn. "Take this time to refresh our protections."

Riveria and Haruhime refreshed their protective spells ranging from Veil Breath to Yata no Kagami. Kaz sent energy into the two as wispy blue trails to replenish their exhausted mind. The group stepped into the massive room and found a single brown orb on an altar at the far wall. A second, much larger orb stood in front of the altar as though to guard it. It started to crack and released putrid smoke into the environment.

A dark, menacing figure emerged. It was a tall, skeletal creature dressed in black robes who wore a crown of gold on its central head. It had three heads and the same number in pairs of arms. This creature, the Bone King, was the monster responsible for the decay of the earth around Claymore City. The Bone King hurled bolts of darkness at the expedition, who scattered to evade harm. It raised a hand into the air, causing the ground to crack and fissure.

A group of animated skeletons dressed in black armour started to crawl out of the holes. "He can summon Spartoi?" asked Lefiya.

"Morgana, Kaz, Bell, Welf, Ais, and Gareth, let's go. We've got the Floor Boss," said Finn. "Everyone else, keep the Spartoi off of us."

"On it," replied Bell.

"Right!" replied the Hiryute Sisters in unison.

Kaz sent an ice beam at the Bone Lord, who blocked it with a violet barrier. Kaz put both hands into it for the most powerful, concentrated beam he could emit. The Bone Lord hurled more dark bolts at his attackers, forcing him to evade. Kaz sicced a succubus silhouette at the Bone Lord. When she kissed it, a dark aura washed over and eroded the Bone Lord's strength. Ais closed and swung, managing only a nick on the arm as the Bone Lord tried to evade. Her Ariel pummelled it, but mostly knocked him back rather than cause meaningful harm.

A distance away the Spartoi Warriors advanced on the others. Bete landed a flying kick on one. The raw power hurled the Spartoi into its comrades behind, knocking all five into a pile. Tiona hacked off the head of another Spartoi, then spun around and decapitated another. Tione kicked away a Spartoi, then evaded the thrust of a second. She plunged the kukris into its skull, then tore off the head.

"There's so many of them," remarked Tione.

"Back up! Lefiya's spell is coming!" cried Bete.

Lefiya released her Fusillade Fallarica. Streams of fire erupted from magic sigils and bombarded the Spartoi Warriors. Skeletons everywhere burst into flame, blasted to pieces by the sheer force of the spell. Despite this massacre of the enemy, more respawned to replace them. Wiene pelted them with Garnet Bolts from above. The ground filled with explosions, felling Spartoi after Spartoi. One reached Welf and took a felling swing to the head from him.

Morgana trapped the Bone Lord in a tornado, stalling its attack. It dispersed the wind, then hurled numerous dark bolts in retaliation. Morgana evaded the one meant for him, while the others did the same for theirs. One of the secondary heads started to chant a spell. Welf noticed and quickly sent out Will O' Wisp. The sparks touched the forming ball of electricity, triggering a massive explosion. The Bone Lord got taken aback. Its central head chanted an ice spell, which Kaz absorbed upon its release.

Its other secondary head chanted a spell and released it as a torrent of fire. Welf held out his sword to draw the flames towards it and dissipate them harmlessly. Gareth descended upon the Bone Lord and landed a deep cut into its shoulder. It swung at him, but Gareth raised his weapon in time to parry. Another swing came at him, getting past his guard and knocking him into the ground. Finn tried to come in, but a quick punch forced him to parry. He evaded a second blow and retreated.

"Phew, that was a close one," said Welf. "That thing casts magic like there's no tomorrow!"

Haruhime conjured Kusanagi to bombard the Spartoi. The translucent blue flame seared a dozen Spartoi and spread rapidly over the ground. Another three Spartoi were set on fire, gradually burning into ash. The Foxfire got onto allies, giving each a boost in offensive power. Haruhime's Deformis Spider illusions spewed webbing upon another group, trapping them, and providing a path for the flames to reach them.

Lili fired arrows into the group, scoring a pair of head shots. She then unleashed a Firebolt arrow, blowing up another two. "Move! The spell's coming!" cried Gareth.

Lili and Finn's vanguard retreated allowing Riveria's Rea Laevateinn to consummate. Fiery pillars filled the room with heat and blazing light. The Spartoi were incinerated instantly and even the Bone Lord got battered by its fury. When the flames died down, the Spartoi were destroyed, but the Bone Lord still stood, doubled over and charred black. It was chanting a spell from each of its heads. "Crap!" cursed Welf, who quickly raised his sword to hold back a massive lightning spell.

Kaz saw an ice spell coming and moved in front to absorb it for his team. The Bone Lord then released the fire spell from its central head, filling the entire room with a massive blast of flame. The entire expedition got hurled to the ground, covered in burns and ash. Gareth got up, propped up by his axe, barely able to stand and wincing in pain. Bell started to rise and he too had suffered several burns and had been hurt quite badly.

"Look! Even the Floor Boss is on the ropes. Just a little more and we can win!" said Bell, hand sparkling with the power of Argonaut.

"Yeah! Just a little more!" said Tiona, using Urga to rise to her feet.

The Spartoi started to crawl out of their holes, desperate to get into place to defend their vulnerable master. "I'm behind you, Bell," said Ais, rising to her feet. "Let's do it!"

She and Bell charged at the Bone Lord. The Spartoi tried to close ranks to block them, but Gareth and Finn intercepted and fended them off with their trusty weapons. Another group tried to intervene, but the Hiryute Sisters and Bete intercepted them. As the two approached, the Bone Lord fired dark bolts at them. Ais and Bell veered away. A forked icicle slipped through its rib cage, knocking it to the far wall and pinning the Floor Boss's spine cord to it.

Ice started to expand from the icicle, increasing its hold on the Bone Lord. It tried to break the ice, but the icicle was too firm and deeply dug in. Its grip only strengthened as the ice spread. "You're all clear! Now, finish it!" cried Kaz.

Ais and Bell renewed their charge. Ais went down, plunging her sword through the rib cage, shattering ribs and its spine while igniting it with Foxfire. Bell leapt up and drove the Argonaut-charged Hestia Knife right through the central skull's forehead, blowing it to pieces. The Bone Lord crumbled into ash and left behind a gigantic, intact magic stone. "High five," said Ais, holding up her hand.

"Sure!" said Bell, granting the Sword Princess her request.

"Yeah! We got him down!" said Welf. "Woohoo!"

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Before returning to the surface, the expedition visited the Chaos Temple and the central chamber containing the statues of the elements. Finn placed the Orb of Earth in the holder of the statue of a chunk of rock. The ground shook and the statue of earth lit up, feeding power into the orb on the central altar. "Three more to go," remarked Ais.

"Yeah, we've done our part. We can save that for another day," said Lili.

The Loki and Hestia Familia returned to the Babelite base after weeks of adventuring in F68. Their goddesses were glad to be able to see their Familia come home alive and mostly unharmed. Hestia latched onto Bell tightly. Loki tried to pounce on Ais, only for Ais to sidestep her and let her fall flat on her face. The Loki supporters started to arrange their loot on a table for a commemorative photograph. The amount of loot earned was so large, that Atsuro and Yuzu had to fetch another two tables to hold it all.

The central table carried a secondary skull from the Bone Lord, which sat prominently in the centre as a trophy of their victory over the Floor Boss. Flanking it were a pair of heart containers with a box of stat seeds before each. On the right table was a blue grimoire, a yellow skill manual, and a red handbook. The red one was a development ability handbook, which could teach the reader a new development ability, just as grimoires taught magic. In front of them were potions, including three elixirs.

To the left of the skull was a diamond sword and a diamond axe, strong, durable weapons of the earth element. Behind them was a diamond shield, highly durable with a trait which protected against earth-based magic. In front of them was a silver ring set with a sapphire, which provided defence despite its unusual form factor. The rest of the gathered equipment were fairly common things, only useful as extra materials as they were fairly standard.

Yuzu snapped a group photo of the Loki officers, the Hestia Familia, and Survivors gathered around the loot. "This was an enjoyable run," said Finn. "On behalf of the Loki Familia, I wish to express our appreciation for this opportunity."

"We're glad you enjoyed it," said Abel, shaking Finn's hand. "Use your hard won prizes well."

 **END OF CHAPTER**


	26. Friend 03 - Rye's First Adventure

Disclaimer:  
DanMachi was created by Fujino Omori. Shin Megami Tensei was created by Atlus. This story uses reference material from them.

 **Demons of the Dungeon  
** **By: RB3  
** **Friendships 3: Rye's First Adventure**

The Hestia and Loki Familia emerged from the surface and made their way back into Orario. They were met by a crowd of people, civilian and adventurer alike, friends of the people coming home. They included Rye of Maria's Orphanage to Filvis Challia of the Dionysus Familia, who waved at Lefiya. The crowd showered the returning heroes with confetti and cheered raucously. It was like a parade for soldiers returning home from victory in war.

When the Hestia Familia returned home, Hestia hugged Bell, her Familia captain and most favoured member. "I'm so glad you're back!" said Hestia.

"I'm glad to be back," said Bell. "How was everything in Orario?"

"It's the same as always. Rye helped out with my croquette business while you were gone. Let's get home as soon as possible. You must want updates to your Falna," said Hestia. After performing these updates, all of her Familia members were close to gaining a level. When Wiene came in for her update, Hestia saw the level indicator shift into a new number.

 **Wiene  
** Lv 4 - 5

Str: F - I  
Vit: F - I  
Dex: S - I  
Agi: S - I  
Mgc: S - I

 **Skills  
** Vouivre Traits  
Xenos  
Soaring  
Garnet Barrier (regenerating forcefield on self, uses mind)

 **Magic  
** Garnet Blast  
Garnet Hypnosis

 **Dev Abilities  
** Status Resist G  
Magic Resist H  
Escape H  
Spirit Healing I

Wiene's new ability was Garnet Barrier, a much needed way to cover for her fragility. Although Wiene was very mobile and fast, she still had the durability of most mages. Garnet Barrier was a simple, protective red force field, but cost mind to maintain. It could only take so many hits before falling. Hestia pressed the parchment for Wiene to read. "Wow, a new skill!" said Wiene after hearing Hestia describe it.

"At least with this, you can last longer in a battle. Just don't go charging into a fight. You're not Welf," said Hestia.

"Thanks for the update goddess," said Wiene.

Sometime later, the Survivors, Hestia Familia, and Loki Familia gathered in the Hostess to celebrate a lucrative, successful expedition into F68. At the head of each Familia's tables were their newly promoted members. For the Hestia Familia, it was Wiene, who was now Lv5. For the Loki Familia, it was the Hiryute Sisters and Bete, all of whom finally reached Lv7 from the expedition and defeating the Bone Lord.

Loki arose from her table, holding a glass of wine. "Let's have a toast, to our newly promoted Familia members!" said Loki, raising the glass into the air.

Everyone followed her in raising a glass or mug. "Cheers!" they said in unison.

After feasting, Loki pulled Hestia into a conversation. "Thanks to you, I made a whole pile of money," said Loki, smiling and beet-red from drunkenness.

"How much?" asked Hestia.

"My bank account is right back to where it was before this whole mess started," replied Loki. "My new home's already been paid for, and my children found useful rare items down there."

"Oh yeah, I saw them," said Bell.

"I know," said Loki. "Here I was, about to go bankrupt, and along came you, to sweep my money troubles away. Thank you friend!"

Loki pulled Bell into a big hug. "Uh, okay Goddess Loki, we're glad you appreciate it," said Bell. "We don't mind helping a friend who's down. I'm glad we had the chance to fight together."

"You're welcome, Loki," said Abel.

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The next Denatus arrived and the gods met to discuss various topics. Hecate took the floor. "I had my demons monitor the Messians ever since Grand Cardinal Zach fled the city. He's hidden himself in the other Grand Cathedral in the Kaios Desert. Numerous angels, templars, and worshippers are congregating there for a series of holy masses. My demons are unnerved by their activities. Something big is about to happen," said Hecate.

Hecate presented a written report to the assembled gods. According to it, the Messians had the bulk of their forces at the site. Any direct attack would be costly in manpower. "I see, thank you for the warning," said Titania. "We'll continue gathering intelligence."

The Denatus continued with the granting of new names to promoted adventurers. "Welf Crozzo of the Hestia Familia is up next," announced Loki.

"What do we know about him?" asked Ganesha.

"He's a smith who can make magic swords. He used lots of anti-magic abilities to protect my Familia and Hestia's," replied Loki. "My Familia saw him use a spell which blew up other spells. He used it against my Familia during training and on the Floor Boss during our last expedition."

"Yes, that's ignis fatuus," said Hephaestus.

"He also used some kind of skill or spell to block other spells," said Loki.

"So, he's a Mage's Bane," replied Hephaestus. "I find it ironic that a magic sword smith has so many abilities which can shut down magic."

"Let's go with Mage's Bane," said Loki.

"I second that," replied Hestia.

The rest of the gods voiced no objection to the new name. "Ok, the next is Wiene, the vouivre Xenos of the Hestia Familia," announced Loki.

"Let's call her 'Lamia,' since vouivres have snake-like bodies," said Hestia.

"I, Lord Ganesha, second that name," said Ganesha.

Miach, Athena, and Loki supported the new name. "Wiene will be known as Lamia. The next is Morgana."

"Grimalkin," said Set. "Come on! He's a cute little kitty with magic!"

Hecate, Freya, and Hermes supported the name. "So, our cute little mascot is a Grimalkin," said Loki. "Last but not least is Kazuya Minegishi."

"Lemegeton," stated Hecate. "He is a powerful demon summoner. Even members of my Familia can't summon demons like he can."

"I'll second," said Hestia.

"I'll third," said Loki. "My Familia mentioned this ability a lot. His demons blocked monsters attacking my Familia's flanks."

"I'll fourth," said Hermes. "It helped my Familia the same way."

Take Mikazuchi and Miach also gave their support for Kaz's new name. "It's decided. Kaz will be known as 'Lemegeton,'" declared Loki.

The Denatus closed and Hestia returned home, where she reported the latest talking points to her Familia. "Grimalkin?" asked Morgana. "Blech!"

"I'm now Lemegeton?" asked Kaz. "Okay... Anyway, the Babelites will intensify monitoring and sabotaging of Messian operations. For now, we must wait."

"I'll restart training Rye while we wait," said Bell. "I'm sure he'll be eager after being sidelined by the joint expedition."

"Sure, I'll let you know if we find anything new," said Kaz.

Bell went to fetch Rye, whose face lit up with elation once he saw Bell coming to the orphanage. "Oh, hi Bell! Going to start training Rye again?" asked Maria.

"Yep, we'll be using real weapons for these next sessions," replied Bell.

"I see... So Rye is going through with it," said Maria. "I hoped I could avoid this, but it seems Rye is set on his dream. I can't stop him anymore. I'll let him go into the Dungeon, but he needs to be accompanied and has to listen to what his adviser says. I hope he stays safe."

"Of course, we'll make sure to train him well, so he can make good choices and come home safely," said Bell.

Bell brought Rye over to Welf for the fitting of new armour. From Welf's samples, Rye ultimately chose mithril mail armour for being light, yet resistant to blows. For a helmet, he chose a mithril morion. For his shield, he chose a mithril heater shield. Finally, Rye picked a simple mithril short sword as his main weapon. "Okay, that should do it. For now, use my older stuff until Haruhime and I can get the good stuff finished," said Welf.

Bell brought Rye to Girimehkala's domain for further training. "Hello," said Ryu, who was waiting in the centre of the arena.

"This is Ryu Lion. She'll be the third member of our team," said Bell.

"Bell told me you had skills that protect the team," said Ryu. "I'll be relying on you out there."

"Uhuh," said Rye.

"Let's begin," said Kaz.

He created some orcs out of ice, which he then sicced on the group. One of them went for Rye, who blocked the mace with his heater shield. The orc reared back for another swing, but Rye hopped out of the way. He closed in and slashed the orc across the left knee. The orc became staggered by agony. Rye wheeled to the other leg and slammed the shield into its knee. The orc collapsed, left vulnerable to Rye hopping on and slitting its throat.

Kaz then created a large dragon out of ice. It reared back to breathe ice, but Rye hopped in front and raised a Bulwark. The ice washed over the barrier harmlessly. Once it tired, Rye moved closer to draw its attention. It tried to claw him, but he blocked, then retreated to draw it in and expose its flank. Ryu moved left and slashed the dragon, chanting Luminous Wind while coming in. She moved to the dragon's rear, where she unleashed the spell. In a flurry of windy blasts, it smashed the dragon to pieces.

After more rigorous training, they stopped to rest and drink water. "Sit down and rest. Today, is a big day. You're going to learn magic, Rye," said Kaz.

"Really? Awesome! I wonder what spell I'll get," said Rye.

Kaz handed him a grimoire and had him read it. When Rye did so, he found himself in the misty streets of Orario, outside the orphanage he grew up in. "What does magic mean to you?" asked an unknown voice.

"It is energy, great power, the power to protect myself, and those I care for," answered Rye.

"What does magic look like?"

Rye thought of a dark stormy night in Orario and the environment changed to reflect his thoughts. A bolt of lightning arced from the clouds to the ground. "Lightning," replied Rye. "...Bright and blue, lighting the dark of the night."

"What do you want?"

"I want to be like him," said Rye, thinking of Bell's face. "I want to be a protector, a hero, like him. The one who fought the demons and saved our city, our home."

The strange world vanished, coalescing into Rye in a rainbow of colours to become Rye's power. "Are you okay Rye?" asked Bell.

Rye opened his eyes, and found himself back in the training Domain. "Yeah," replied Rye.

"Now might be a good time to practice your new spell."

"Okay," replied Rye. "Plasma!"

Crackling bolts of electricity arced from the surface of Rye's body and his sword and shield. "A lightning enchant spell," remarked Ryu.

"It's called Tonitrus," said Rye.

Kaz created an icy clone of an orc. "Try it out. Fight this monster."

The orc swung and when Rye blocked its club, his lightning aura released an electrical surge in retaliation. Stunned, the orc reared back in pain. Rye stepped into a shield slam, staggering the orc further. Following with a thrust to the belly, the orc crumbled to pieces. "So, they get zapped if they get too close... Nice!" said Rye.

After a few more rounds of training, the day was over. Bell and Rye returned Rye's equipment to Welf, then went back to Hestia for a quick update. "Okay Rye, let's see how much you've changed," said Hestia.

 **Rye Baker  
** Lv 1

Str: G  
Vit: E  
Dex: G  
Agi: G  
Mgc: G

 **Skills  
** Bulwark

 **Magic  
** Tonitrus (create aura of electricity around self)

"So, you got the Tonitrus spell. It's an enchant-type. It puts an aura of electricity around your body," said Hestia.

"Yeah, I know. Kaz got me to practice it today," said Rye.

"Good! Ais Whatshername has a similar spell, but it's a wind version, while yours is electricity," said Hestia. "We'll need to get you into the Dungeon soon."

"Thank you goddess," said Rye. "I can't wait."

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The next week, Bell retrieved Rye from the orphanage and brought him to Welf to be equipped with new gear. "Most of this stuff is for people at least two or three levels above you, but it's junk to us. Your chain mail improves your basic stats, making you faster and stronger. Your shield is the strongest thing I've made. It uses the same stuff I use for the higher people like Bell," said Welf.

"Wow!" said Rye, admiring his new gear. In particular, his heater shield had a bloody red hue to it and almost seemed alive.

"I call your shield the Vampire Shield. It uses the rib bone of Vlad, who is the vampire Floor Boss of F66. It came as a gift from Lord Abel," said Welf. "This amazing shield has improved block strength and the Durandal trait, which means it's unbreakable. It has another trait called 'dark metamorphosis,' which means it can drink blood to heal the owner and repair itself. This is one of the best things I've made, if I do say so myself."

"Wow, this is awesome! Thanks Welf!" said Rye.

"No problem, good luck on that run," said Welf.

Bell brought Rye to the Hestia Hall. "Today's the big day," said Hestia. "Are you nervous? It's okay if you are."

"Yeah a little, I'm going into the Dungeon for the first time," said Rye.

"Don't worry. Stay calm, keep a clear mind, and remember everything you've learned," said Lili. "You'll be going with me and Morgana. If something goes wrong, we can bail you out of trouble, so don't be afraid to ask."

"Okay, wish me luck," said Rye.

"Sure, good luck," said Bell.

After he ate a magic croquette, Lili and Morgana escorted Rye to Eina for a final evaluation of his Falna at the Pantheon. Eina mulled over the information it contained. "Okay, if you're escorting him as a supporter, he can go as far as F27. If he's practicing his fighting skills, don't go any further than F13."

"Okay, thank you Eina," said Morgana.

The duo brought Rye into the Dungeon, where they descended the winding stairs to the underground. They came upon F1, at the opening of a wide entry hallway. The rocky walls of this stratum had a light colouring to them. There were several insects perched on the roof which gave off a green, bioluminescent glow from their bodies. They acted as the primary light source of the Dungeon. Nobody else was around save Rye and his allies.

As they travelled to the next floor, a group of kobolds started to spawn from the wall. "We'll let you handle this one, Rye. If you get in trouble, we'll hop in," said Lili.

Lili and Morgana stood back and let Rye take the lead. Rye activated Tonitrus and chopped one of the kobolds in the head. The other four rushed in and he blocked their attacks. Each attack caused them to be zapped by his electrical aura and stunned. He then swung at each kobold, cutting each down with a single stroke. When all were dead, Lili started to gather the magic stones. "I did it!" said Rye.

"Great work. Let's keep going. Lots more monsters to fight," said Morgana.

The group travelled down to F9. Unlike the previous stratum, this one was a brown colour and the roof was higher. A group of killer ants started to spawn from the walls and floor. Rye prepared the Tonitrus barrier and assumed a combat stance. The ants started to swarm in but were kept at bay by the electricity which crackled around his body. Rye started to hack away at the ants. Every hit discharged electricity so that nearby ants got zapped and stunned.

They made it all the way down to F12, which was a misty region of the Dungeon. It was filled with leafless trees as though permanently in the season of autumn or winter. A group of imps spawned from the ground, surrounding him in a circle. Rye put on his Tonitrus barrier and looked for an opening. He suddenly chopped one of the imps, scattering electricity which stunned its neighbours. He charged through this open space in their line, then turned around and raised his shield for defence.

Two of them recovered and pounced at him, but he blocked the first and slashed the second. Both got zapped in retaliation. The others backed off, unsure of how to harm him without getting electrocuted in return. Rye advanced on the group and slashed the nearest one. The sword discharged lightning as it hit, staggering other imps nearby. The imps threw caution to the wind and tried to overwhelm him by sheer numbers. Rye blocked the first, then threw slashes to cut down another three.

After shaking off the imp on his shield, he made a killing thrust downward. The last imp tried to pounce on him by surprise, only to get discovered and chopped out of the air. "Are you okay Rye?" asked Morgana.

"Yeah, it's pretty tiring taking so many at once," replied Rye.

"Here, take this healing spell," said Morgana, casting Salvation upon him. A series of white sparks danced over Rye's body as his stamina returned.

After Lili collected their loot, the group went to a side area to eat lunch. Lili pulled out a few sandwiches which she had brought for the trip. The trio ate until their hunger was sated. A group of four adventurers from another Familia descended the staircase to F12. "Another group. We'll let them pick on the monsters for a while," said Morgana, biting into a ham sandwich.

After finishing their lunch, Lili wiped her hands clean of the breadcrumbs. The group began to move and heard screaming coming from deeper in the floor. They ran over to investigate and saw a party of four engaged with a pack of hellhounds. The hellhounds were from F13, but had somehow ascended the lower floor and ran afoul of the other party. One of the adventurers, a young male human supporter, was on the ground, bleeding profusely from a number of bite marks.

"We have to help them!" said Rye.

"Those monsters are Lv2. Be careful," said Lili. "We'll back you up."

Rye ran to the nearest hellhound, who was biting a male human swordsman in the arm. Rye slammed the creature with his shield, staggering it from the impact. The hellhound turned its ire to Rye, who quickly blocked its lunging bite. Rye smacked him away, then activated Tonitrus. When it landed, the hellhound growled, then breathed fire. Rye put up a Bulwark and pushed toward the source. His Tonitrus zapped the hellhound repeatedly from proximity, forcing it to stop.

Rye landed a clean chop to the skull, a felling blow. With a thrust down, he finished off the demonic dog. Another tried to pounce from behind, but an arrow speared it through the head and felled it. A tornado zipped into the crowd, sucking another two out of their advance. A fourth came at Rye, who blocked its attempt to bite. It took several electrical zaps and got forced to back away. Rye came in and slashed its head. After blocking a bite attempt, Rye's split its skull with a chop and felled the beast.

The last hellhound leapt in, but got impaled upon his sword. More electricity zapped the dog, turning it into fried meat. "Wow, look at that! It's Secret Agent Chien and Grimalkin of the Hestia Familia!" said a Prum scout.

"Thank you," said an amazon swordswoman.

During this time, Morgana healed their wounded supporter. "Thank you, Grimalkin," said the supporter.

"We're about to leave, so please be careful," said Lili.

"Of course, thanks for your help. We might have been done for if not for you," said the leader, a muscular human male barbarian.

Rye's group started to make their way back to the surface of the Dungeon. After leaving Rye's equipment with Welf for maintenance, the group returned to the Pantheon. They cashed in the magic stones Rye had earned at the teller. As a baseline, a party of five adventurers at Lv1 could earn almost 25,000 Valis each day. Rye earned 8000 from his first Dungeon run, which was quite a bit more than what a single Lv1 adventurer could earn.

Lili and Morgana allowed Rye to keep all of that money as an act of generosity for his first ever exploration of the Dungeon. "Thank you! My very first paycheck. Wow!" said Rye.

"No problem, you did well down there," said Lili.

"Just don't go around splurging. Make sure to save it," said Morgana.

"Okay, thank you for teaching me. I'm one step closer to my dream," said Rye. The trio returned to Hestia, who promptly gave Rye a new update for his Falna.

 **Rye Baker  
** Lv 1

Str: E  
Vit: C  
Dex: F  
Agi: F  
Mgc: E

 **Skills  
** Bulwark

 **Magic  
** Tonitrus

"Good work, Rye. You can now level if you wish, but I'd wait and develop more before taking the plunge," said Hestia.

"Goddess, how do I go up a level?" asked Rye.

"You have to do something that the gods would find impressive. That could mean fighting something that is much stronger than you are, or doing a great service for the gods," replied Hestia. "Don't worry about that now. Focus on banking the best stats you can for future levels."

As Bell brought Rye home, the next generation of Hestia engaged Bell in a conversation. "Bell, how did you get your first level up?" asked Rye.

"Oh, I fought a minotaur," replied Bell.

"A minotaur? Aren't they really strong Lv2 monsters?" asked Rye.

"Yeah," replied Bell. "It was one of the toughest fights I've ever faced."

"How did you beat something so strong?" asked Rye. "I heard that minotaurs have very tough skin. How were you able to hurt it?"

"I stole its sword and used it to make a cut, then I shot Firebolts into it," said Bell.

"Oh, I see, you had to use new tactics," said Rye.

"Yeah, I couldn't make a dent before then," said Bell.

The duo finally reached Maria's Orphanage. When Matron Maria spotted them, she waved. "Welcome back!" said Maria.

"Hi!" said Rye.

"How was your day? I hope you weren't hurt in the Dungeon?" asked Maria.

"No Ms. Martel," replied Rye. "Lili, Morgana, and I got to fight lots of scary monsters. We got to F12, then found a group of adventurers who got into trouble from hellhounds."

"Hellhounds? Don't they show up in the middle floors?" asked Maria.

"Yeah, but these ones must have climbed up the stairs. We fought them and I got three down by myself," replied Rye. "We returned home and cashed in our magic stones. I got 8000 Valis for that adventure."

"That's a lot of money!" said Maria.

"I know. Lili and Morgana allowed me to keep it as a present," said Rye.

"Did they? They sure are generous!" said Maria.

"Don't worry. When we run the deeper floors, we get millions of Valis each run. 8000 Valis is pocket change to us now," said Bell.

"Now Rye, look at what Bell and the Hestia Familia have done for you. What do we say?" asked Maria.

"Thank you Bell, for teaching me," replied Rye.

"You're welcome Rye," said Bell. "I have to go home. The goddess is expecting me."

"Of course. Thank you for your time, Bell," said Maria.

 **END OF CHAPTER**


	27. Friend 04 - City of the North Star

Disclaimer:  
DanMachi was created by Fujino Omori. Shin Megami Tensei was created by Atlus. This story uses reference material from them.

 **Demons of the Dungeon  
** **By: RB3  
** **Friendships 4: City of the North Star**

The Kaios Desert was a massive expanse of sand which stretched for miles around. Only a scant few cactuses and a large oasis at its heart broke the monotonous sandy landscape. Around the oasis was a massive town with its entry arch marked by the blue shield with the cross. The buildings were constructed out of white stone gathered from the quarry in the mountains to the north. The Messians toiled at the mountain and one of their members, an Angel, grabbed a communicator.

At the other end, Cardinal Zach answered from his office. "Hello?" asked Zach.

"Grand Cardinal, we've found the tunnel into the Dungeon. It leads to F73, the Silent Wastes," said the Angel.

"Wonderful," said Zach. "We're almost done on our end. Continue the tunnelling."

Zach left his office and entered a massive congregation room in the largest cathedral in the world of Orario. There were dozens of pews with the capacity to seat more than a hundred people simultaneously. The congregation chanted prayers to God for salvation from the evils of the world. At the end of the prayers, four columns of golden light descended at the front of the room. When the light cleared, there stood four angels greater in splendour than any ever before seen.

The first appeared to be a young, blond-haired man with sky blue skin. He was clad in a full suit of red armour and carried a flaming sword. The second was a pink-skinned man with blond hair which stood on end. He wore blue armour and carried a broad sword. The third, the only female, was green skinned and blue-haired. She wore a golden breastplate, a skirt, and carried a sword and flower. The last was a stern man with orange skin and blue hair. He wore a golden breastplate and blue bracers and shin guards. He was armed with a spear.

These four angels were among the most powerful to serve under God. They were known as Uriel, Raphael, Gabriel, and Michael respectively. The crowd was rendered speechless in awe of seeing such well-known luminaries. "Our prayers have been answered! The Four Great Heralds have come to assist us! Please address the crowd," said Zach.

"Our efforts are proceeding well. I thank you for all your efforts," said Michael. "Our God has seen fit to place me as overseer of the last leg of our operations. As my first official act, I hereby place Grand Cardinal Zach under arrest."

"W... What?" asked Zach incredulously. A group of templars entered the room and surrounded Zach. "You can't do this to me! I'm the Grand Cardinal!"

The templars pulled his arms back and slapped the handcuffs on him. "It is the will of God. You have been charged with misappropriating funds, deceiving your constituents, and preying upon their generosity. You will be a given a fair trial, though I expect you will be found guilty and imprisoned," said Michael.

The templars escorted Zach out of the room. "Faithful believers, to open the path to our Lord, we must smite a fearsome beast," said Uriel. "This dangerous task falls to me. Please send me your prayers, so that the Lord may deliver me from evil."

Uriel flew out of the cathedral, far from the desert, to a mountainous valley in an unknown part of the world. Hidden beneath a cliff was a massive dragon whose size was so great that a human was no larger than one of its feet. The dragon had shiny, obsidian-black scales and a left eye which had been gouged out and covered over by scar tissue. This dragon was known as Tannin, the One-Eyed Black Dragon, and single most dangerous monster still present on the surface world.

Tannin saw Uriel approach and expelled a blast of flame. The great angel parried the flames with his own flaming sword, and redirected them at Tannin, who got stunned by the surprise counter attack. Uriel dove in and cut a wide gash across Tannin's back. Tannin roared in agony, but recovered quickly and extended its elongated neck to snap at Uriel. The angel quickly banked away, then zipped in for a quick slash across the dragon's side. Tannin turned and swiped Uriel, sending the angel hurtling back in the air.

Upon righting himself, he unleashed a Megido spell. The explosion of violet energy consumed the ground in a massive dome of light. When it cleared, the wounded Tannin suddenly came in and headbutted Uriel into the ground. He bouncing along the rocky surface before coming to a stop. Tannin closed the gap and tried to snap at Uriel again, but Uriel expected it, dodged right, and moved in. Uriel swung the sword through Tannin's neck, lopping the beast's head clean off.

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Bell and Morgana found themselves in the Dungeon on F12, escorting Rye for training. As the group traversed the misty floor, they soon came upon a giant gorilla. Known as a silverback, this monster was one of Bell's first nemeses. He remembered last year's Monsterphilia, when it somehow got loose and chased him and Hestia across the city. With the timely acquisition of the Hestia Knife, Bell was able to turn the tide and score the victory.

Rye raised his shield and his electrical barrier while the others moved a safe distance away. Rye watched the silverback carefully, looking for any openings. The silverback threw a punch, but got blocked. Rye's electricity zapped the gorilla, causing it to rear back in pain. Rye darted in and slashed the gorilla in the stomach. It doubled over in agony, leaving itself open. Rye leapt up and drove the sword through its forehead in a fatal strike. The gorilla monster crumbled to ash and left behind a magic stone which Morgana secured.

"Good work, that's it for today," said Bell.

The group returned to the Hestia Hall for Hestia to update Rye's Falna. "How was it today Rye?" asked Hestia.

"I saw a silverback for the first time and got to fight it," replied Rye.

"Oh yeah, Bell and I have a lot of memories about that monster. He fought one to save the city during last year's Monsterphilia," said Hestia.

"He fought a silverback last year? How? Did it escape from its cage?" asked Rye.

"Apparently so," replied Hestia. "It chased him across the city while I tried to get a new weapon to him so he could fight it. Let's see what your Falna is like now."

 **Rye Baker  
** Lv 1

Str: A  
Vit: S  
Dex: C  
Agi: D  
Mgc: A

 **Skills  
** Bulwark

 **Magic  
** Tonitrus

"These are good ratings! You're ready to reach the next level," said Hestia, copying it onto a piece of paper.

"Tell me again, how do I level?" asked Rye, as Hestia got off his back and he started to put on his shirt.

"You have to do something that will impress the gods," said Hestia. "That can include fighting a monster stronger than you are level-wise, or surviving on a floor normally meant for higher levels. It can be any number of other things." A knocking came from the door. "Come in!"

The person at the door was Kaz, who was dressed in full combat gear. "There's been an emergency in the Dungeon. The Babelites have called for our help," said Kaz.

"Okay, I'll take Rye home," said Hestia. "Good luck."

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On F73, the Silent Wastes, gunshots and explosions started to ring out through the ruined city in the desert. From the windows of a building, a Babelite soldier fired an assault rifle at the mass of angels entering the floor. Outside, a Principality hurled blasts of holy power at a Legion. The Legion, a cancerous mass of faces, banked from the blasts. It spewed jets of foul violet gas which the Principality evaded. The Legion set off a burst of dark magic, disintegrating the angel.

The Survivors emerged from the portal and scrambled to the city outside. "Look, over there!" Yuzu called to the others.

She pointed out the sky blotted out by the silhouettes of the vast army of angels fighting on the floor. Some of them descended on the bunker, weaving past fire from Babelite soldiers. One of the Virtues hurled ball lightning at Abel, who snuffed it. Abel then lashed vines at it and yanked it headfirst into the ground. He then opened a fissure in reality upon the angel, disintegrating it to nothingness.

Yog met with a squadron of Powers and Dominions. They started blasting the Outer God with holy energy and lightning. Yog formed a white barrier to dissipate the lightning. On the other hand, when the holy energy streams struck the barrier, they turned around and struck the angels who fired them. Though the holy energy had no effect on most of the angels, Yog had lobbed orbs to follow behind the reflected streams, knocking half a dozen angels out of the sky.

Black Frost came face to face with a Throne angel. "For love and justice, I'll destroy you!" declared Black Frost.

The Throne hurled a blast of fire. It rebounded off Black Frost's red barrier, then turned back at the Throne. The Throne absorbed its own fire, replenishing its health in a glimmer of red light. Black Frost charged in and punched the angel in the jaw. It hit the ground and bounced two more times before landing in a cloud of dust and disintegrating. "Over there!" said Midori.

The Survivors looked over at the bunker and saw several angels enter. "They got in!" said Yuzu.

"Oh no!" said Midori.

A Firebolt came out of the door, blowing an Angel back and incinerating it. It was followed by Bell Cranel rushing to the Survivors' side. "Bell!" said Yuzu.

"We heard there was trouble here," said Bell.

"Look out! More angels coming in!" cried Lili.

Lili fired at the frontmost angel, a Power. She pierced its face with the shot and knocked it out of the sky. Kaz froze another Power in a block of solid ice. It fell out of the sky and shattered into pieces. The angels hurled holy blasts down at the Hestia Familia, but Welf held out his sword and dissipated each attack. He leapt up and chopped a Principality in half. A Power descended and thrust at Bell, who evaded left. Bell moved in and cut the angel to ribbons with a trio of slashes.

Ryu sliced down a Power, chanting a Luminous Wind as she moved. A Virtue hurled ball lightning at her, but she bounded away. She released the spell, pummelling the angel with air blasts. "Dominions coming," said Morgana. "Watch out! They're Lv7!"

The Dominion hurled ball lightning at Bell, who dove away quickly. He hurled Firebolts in retaliation, striking it, but only staggering it. Kaz caught the Dominion with tendrils of violet energy and began sucking its reserves. The Dominion doubled over momentarily, then retorted with ball lightning. As Kaz tried to escape, the ball exploded behind and hurled him into the ground. His Asura leapt in, hurling dozens of punches in rapid succession. With a final breath of flame, the angel had been incinerated.

Another Dominion hurled ball lightning, hitting Ryu, Morgana, and Haruhime. A final one went towards Welf, who raised his sword to block it. The Dominion swooped in and swung its book at Welf, who parried the attack. Welf lunged and nicked the angel's belly. The angel suddenly turned and slapped Welf to the ground with its wing. Bell attempted to pounce on its back, but it turned around and slammed Bell away with its wing.

"This one's strong," remarked Welf, rising from the ground.

Kaz formed a black aura upon the Dominion. The dark magic sapped its strength precipitously. It started to gather electricity for ball lightning, but Welf preempted it with Will O' Wisp, exploding the spell. The angel recovered almost immediately and rushed in for a strike with its book, but Welf parried. With a kick, Welf knocked it away. Ryu sped by and made a cut across its stomach. Releasing a Luminous Wind, she sent it flying into a building.

Bell followed by sending a Firebolt enhanced by Argonaut. The ensuring explosion collapsed the building on to top of the Dominion, burying it beneath the rubble. Morgana detected another swarm of angels breaching the bomb shelter. When both the Survivors and Hestia Familia followed them in, they found that the formerly locked door had been opened. The portal back to the Babelite base was gone. Abel tried to open another portal, but it collapsed as soon as it formed.

"What's the matter?" asked Yuzu. "Why isn't the portal going up?"

"It looks like the angels disrupted the dimensions in the area. I can't get another portal open," replied Abel.

"We're cut off. We'll have to open the portal on the next floor," said Atsuro.

"We'll follow you," said Bell.

"Be careful, the monsters are stronger down there," said Atsuro.

Yuzu looked at the formerly locked door. "I don't get it. This door was locked before. How did the angels open it?" asked Yuzu.

"No idea, but I think we'll find out soon," said Atsuro.

The joint group passed the formerly locked door and descended a tunnel which sloped downward. On the other side, they had exited onto the roof of a seven story building standing near a low point in the ceiling. They found a roof access staircase, then a stairwell in the hallway which led down and outside. The building was a brick and mortar structure with large front windows on its facade. Its design was similar to those of a modern, Western apartment complex with spaces for smaller businesses.

The group had stopped in front of Hokuto Karate to get their bearings. Its sign featured a cartoon of a karate fighter causing an opponent's head to explode with a punch. The rest of the city was similar to that of a Western city and had signs written in English. Most buildings had their windows shattered, though the buildings themselves remained standing. The place was eerily quiet and showed no sign that anyone had lived there recently.

"Exploding heads, one punch at a time?" asked Bell, reading the slogan on Hokuto Karate's sign. Despite being written in English, Bell could see similarities in its letters with those used by the people of Orario.

"What kind of martial arts did they teach here?" asked Ryu.

"What is this place?" asked Lili. She looked at the Hokuto Karate school's sign and found she could actually make out what it said like Bell could. "The signs look like they were written in Orarian, but the letters are a bit different."

"North Star City, 1 km north," said Bell, reading a green highway sign.

"This looks like a city from our homeland," replied Abel.

"Really?" asked Lili.

"Yeah," replied Abel.

"It looks like the world I came from too," said Morgana.

"What happened to the city?" asked Bell. "Is this still a part of the Dungeon, or did we get taken somewhere else?"

"We're still in the Dungeon," replied Atsuro, looking at his comp. "This is just what this place looks like."

"Let's keep looking. We're sure to find clues further in," replied Ryu.

The expedition travelled through North Star City and took in the sights. Everywhere they went, they found sprawling ruins of a Western city. Like the area near Hokuto Karate, all of the buildings had shattered windows, as did the cars. For such a ruined city, there was very little garbage and debris on the streets. After an hour, they heard a series of engines revving and approaching. A group of mohawked orcs on motorcycles sped towards the group, kicking up a cloud of dust in their wake.

"Orcs?" asked Ryu. "With Mohawks?"

"What are those things they're riding on?" asked Bell.

Ryu quickly fled before the mohawked orc could strike her with a chain. After the expedition dodged their attacks, the mohawked orcs turned around for another pass. Bell jumped kicked one of the bikers off of his ride. Despite the abrupt landing, the orc managed to get off the ground and charge Bell. Bell sidestepped the orc and slashed him twice as he barrelled by. His foe suffered only minor cuts and was still able to continue fighting.

Lili fired arrows into another biker's motorcycle, bursting a tire which caused the vehicle to spin out. The rider got ejected harshly to the ground, but got up quickly and ran the rest of the way on foot, twirling a chain. Morgana sent a tornado blustering his way, scooping him up. The biker got dumped several feet away, blowing up a cloud of dirt and dust. Kaz put an ice patch in front of another biker. When he drove over it, he spun out and crashed into a florist's store.

Bell slashed his biker twice, then landed a roundhouse kick. Though knocked back, his foe remained standing. "These guys are tough. Nothing I do keeps them down!" said Bell. The biker tried to whip him, but Bell evaded it.

Kaz sent an ice beam to his opponent's heart, then to the forehead. Despite such a hard hit, the beams only staggered the biker instead of knocking him down. Three seconds later, the orc's forehead sparked with electricity. His head swelled abnormally, then exploded in a fountain of blood! Atsuro targeted a flurry of punches to vital points on his opponent's chest. With one final blow to the forehead, he knocked the orc to the ground.

After getting up, the biker's pressure points sparked with electricity. His head swelled and exploded, followed by his chest blowing out. "Whoa! What did you do to them?" asked Welf, seeing how gruesomely Atsuro had killed the bikers.

"Aim for the pressure points!" said Morgana. He showed them glowing points of light overlaying each of the bikers, telling them where they should strike.

Welf prepared to swing for the biker's chest, forcing the orc to close arms together to block. Welf moved right and thrust at a point of light on the orc's temple. The blade deflected off of the skin seemingly causing no harm. The orc lashed its chain at Welf, knocking him down. The pressure point sparked, then an artery burst, gushing blood out of the orc's head. As it clutched at the wound in pain, Welf ran in and stabbed the biker's stomach. The blade deflected off once again.

The orc punched Welf, sending him back to the ground. The pressure point on the orc's stomach triggered in a spark of electricity. The ensuing explosion blew out the monster's innards, leaving nothing behind but a magic stone. "Nasty! I wouldn't want to be him right now," remarked Welf.

Bell evaded a chain and made two cuts on the orc's chest. He then scored a high kick to the forehead, right on a pressure point. After being forced back, the orc's pressure point sparked. His head swelled abnormally, then exploded in a fountain of blood. "Such strange monsters on this floor," remarked Lili.

Ryu had struck three pressure points on her orc's chest, then leapt away from a counter attack. Its vital points sparked, then the orc exploded in a fountain of blood. "Nothing else is effective. They have resistance to everything," said Ryu.

The expedition continued eastward into the city. As they went in further, they noticed that the damage to the city was much greater the further they went. It went from charred buildings to ones which were barely standing, some even leaning to the side like the Tower of Pisa. It appeared that a bomb had been detonated in the area, likely a nuclear one, due to how widespread the damage was. After a certain point, no more buildings stood. There was only a charred crater.

By travelling south, they eventually found a second office building that managed to survive the explosion intact. Abel teleported to the roof ten floors above and found that it had a clear view of the area, including the Hokuto Karate school. The second office's ground floor had a restaurant built into it. Its blue sign showed a night sky with the Big Dipper asterism depicted on it. The restaurant was appropriately called the "Big Dipper Soup House."

With its tables, chairs, and a clear rooftop view, it was the perfect place to congregate. Abel teleported back to others. "Let's set up the portal here," said Abel. "Sweep the building for monsters."

The team stormed the building, looking into every office and closet for possible ambushes. After half an hour, they turned up empty, a fortunate outcome. Abel moved to an office on the second floor and slowly opened a rift between dimensions back to the Babelite base. With the connection made, Babelite reinforcements came through and began to set up watch posts on different floors. Demons started to the patrol the area on the watch for biker gangs and Messians.

The Survivors, Kaz, and Haruhime sent demons and aerial illusions to scout the land and map the various landmarks. When they returned, they reported a large stone tablet in a square in the north part of the city. There was a mohawked gang member frozen at the location, suggesting that someone had passed through the area recently. The expedition travelled in that direction. The tablet had an ever shifting set of letters on it, making it impossible to determine what information it had.

It was made of smooth granite, expertly carved by skilled craftsmen. The closest building to the tablet was Ray's Deli. Its slogan was "a cut above the rest." It had a menu listing prices for various food items, mostly sandwiches and drinks. The overhead sign was broken on its left side, missing the portion which would have displayed the face of Ray. "The stairs down are in the basement of Ray's Deli," said Morgana.

"Look at this," said Haruhime, looking over the frozen, mohawked gang member.

The gang member looked much like a regular biker, wearing a studded leather jacket and having a Mohawk. This gang member was much taller than the others at more than twenty feet in height. He also had a large "Z" tattooed on his forehead. Judging from his unusually large size, he was likely the Floor Boss. He was surrounded by magic stones, likely from his gang getting killed by the angels and Messians as they advanced to the next floor.

"Who could have done this?" asked Yuzu.

"If I had to guess, it would be the Herald Gabriel," replied Abel.

"Mohawk... Z," remarked Haruhime, looking at the Floor Boss' tattoo.

Suddenly, the ice cracked open. Mohawk Z snatched Haruhime and held her above his head. "You killed my men. Now you'll pay!" cried Mohawk Z.

"Wow, he can talk?" asked Bell.

"He's a Xenos and a Floor Boss?" asked Lili.

"You're not them..." remarked Mohawk Z. "No matter. Surrender your possessions or I'll break her neck!"

Mohawk Z, started to twist Haruhime's head, causing her to gasp in pain. Hector's muscles bulged as he screamed out in rage. "ATA! A-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA! ATA!" he cried in time with a flurry of blows to Mohawk Z's pressure points.

Mohawk Z got launched into the air and Haruhime slipped out of his grasp. Hector turned around and caught her, just as Mohawk Z crashed to the ground with a loud thud, kicking up a cloud of dust. The orc quickly rose to his feet. "What the hell was that?" asked Mohawk Z. "Prepare to die!"

"Big orc no fight. You already dead!" said Hector.

"Is that so?" asked Mohawk Z.

Inside his brain, electrical signals started firing. Mohawk Z's head started to swell as pressure built up and formed a massive lump on the side of his head. The cancerously enlarging lump pressed against his nerves, causing excruciating pain which made him scream. His abdominal muscles started to swell and compress blood vessels. Suddenly, Mohawk Z's head burst like an exploded grenade and his torso burst forth in a fountain of blood!

Mohawk Z crashed to the ground with an earthshaking thud with only his legs and hips remaining. His body disintegrated and left behind its magic stone. The others were stunned and could only gawk in slack-jawed horror at Mohawk Z's gruesome demise. "Haruhime, you okay?" asked Hector.

"Yeah, I'm fine," replied Haruhime.

 **END OF CHAPTER**


	28. Rev 01 - Shard of Divinity

Disclaimer:  
DanMachi was created by Fujino Omori. Shin Megami Tensei was created by Atlus. This story uses reference material from them.

 **Demons of the Dungeon  
** **By: RB3  
** **Revelations 1: Shard of Divinity**

Abel looked over the tablet standing by Ray's Deli. It was written in an unknown language and hence undecipherable. As though in reaction to his reading them, the letters started to shift and morph like ink being smeared onto paper. They coalesced into two blocks of text, one in Japanese for the Survivors, the other in the Orarian language. Suddenly, the environment itself started to change, just like the writing on the tablet, to the crimson vastness of the Expanse.

An object, like a shard of gold, sped through the Expanse like a comet soaring through outer space. It entered real space and continued onto Earth, where it crashed somewhere in the Holy Land of the Middle East. Years seemed to pass, with the seasons changing and the plants withering and growing. The shard remained in its crater, until one day, it floated into the air. It transformed into the golden head of a bald, elderly man made of countless polygons, like a computer game model.

This being was intimately familiar to Abel. "YHVH!" said Abel.

The image changed with the passing of many more years. A bearded, saintly man in white robes knelt before God at the edge of a cliff. The saintly man left his God and gathered a dozen followers. With these twelve, the saintly man toured the Holy Land, helping the needy through acts of charity while preaching his beliefs. Wherever he went, he would use his magical powers to heal the sick and even raised the dead. He gathered a large crowd wherever he went, full of people eager and grateful for his charity.

During a meal with his followers, the saintly man held up a loaf of bread as he preached. He then split the bread up and gave portions to each of his twelve followers. The thirteen men went to a garden to pray, with the saintly man separating to pray alone. Numerous Roman soldiers descended upon them and arrested the group. During the saintly man's captivity, the Romans forced a crown of thorns upon his head, before crucifying him in the middle of a desert and leaving him to die.

Centuries passed rapidly with civilizations rising and falling, until arriving at modern times. All was peaceful, until massive mushroom-like explosions charred the world black. Gods of every religion arose from their lands with weapons in hand, crying out for vengeance. The divine armies included several familiar faces from Orario such as Hermes and Freya. They surrounded YHVH and his angels before charging in for the final battle.

Blasts of the elements soared back and forth, and blades clanged against each other. In the end, only YHVH remained as the last member of monotheism. With YHVH surrounded and alone, the gods channelled golden power to him, reverting him back into the golden shard. The vision faded and the group was back at the tablet by Ray's Deli. "What was that I saw?" asked Welf.

"It was the past, long before Orario existed," replied Atsuro. "YHVH somehow got there."

"Yes," replied Lili. "That's what the tablet is telling me."

"Long ago, a terrible evil came to our world," began Bell. "Merely a fragment of a whole, he was known by many names, Yaldabaoth, Demiurge, and YHVH. He demanded adoration from mortals and spread his name through religion. He eventually wanted all other gods purged so that he alone was worshipped. We, the gods, defeated him, but not before he ravaged the world in flame."

When Morgana heard the name 'Yaldabaoth,' his jaw dropped. "Y... Yaldabaoth? Like that thing we fought at the bottom of Mementos?" asked Morgana.

"If I had to guess, that was likely another fragment, like the one which fell into Orario's distant past," replied Abel.

"Another fragment? What do you mean by that?" asked Morgana.

"You know how the Expanse connects many worlds together, right?" asked Abel.

"Yes," replied Morgana.

"In one of these other worlds, YHVH had achieved the title of Creator, the overseer of that world. During his reign, a young demon hunter named Nanashi had fallen in battle to demons. He was revived by the god Dagda to act as a Godslayer. Eventually, Dagda ordered Nanashi to betray his friends, but the Godslayer remained true to those around him," said Abel.

"Oh, we heard this story from Nozomi!" said Midori. "Nanashi and friends went on to defeat YHVH so the people could be free."

"Okay, but how does this relate to that fragment that landed in Orario?" asked Welf.

"I'm getting to that part," replied Abel. "After Nanashi defeated YHVH, YHVH had not been destroyed completely. Rather, I suspect that he got shattered into several fragments. These 'Shards of Divinity' got scattered across the Expanse, to land in various worlds."

"I see... Could one of these fragments have become Yaldabaoth, the thing we Phantom Thieves fought?" asked Morgana.

"It's quite possible," replied Abel.

"Where is the one that fell into Orario now?" asked Bell

"My first guess would be at the bottom of the Dungeon," replied Abel.

Deep inside, Lili could feel that Abel was right. Her face blanched at the real implications of going in to explore the Dungeon. Even Bell was shocked by this revelation. "All this time that we were going in the Dungeon, me and every adventurer, we were... ARRGH!" growled Bell.

"Don't be afraid!" said Midori. "We won't let that happen. We're going to stop them, right?"

"Yes," replied Abel. "We have to. Now that we know, we must be prepared. The battle is coming and we must be ready for it."

"I know now, why I was brought here. I was meant to help you fight this fragment, just like I helped my friends fight that other one," said Morgana.

"We're glad you're here, Morgana," said Bell.

"Yeah, thanks to you, we've gotten this far," said Haruhime.

"Let's return to the surface," said Ryu.

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The Hestia Familia had returned to the Babelite base, where Hestia began updates on her Familia. "Okay Bell, let's do you first," said Hestia.

 **Bell Cranel  
** Lv 6 - 7

Str: SS - I  
Vit: SS - I  
Dex: SS - I  
Agi: SSS - I  
Mgc: A - I

 **Skills  
** Realis Phrase  
Argonaut  
Giant Slayer  
Ambassador  
Mentorship (party member has Lv +1, limit = Bell's Lv)

 **Magic  
** Firebolt

 **Dev Abilities  
** Luck E  
Status Resist G  
Escape G  
Chain Attack H  
Healing Power H

Bell had taken Rye Baker on as an apprentice ever since the young boy expressed his dream of adventure in the Dungeon. He trained the less experienced Rye, helping him to grow stronger and more skilled. Now, he gained a skill, Mentorship, which functioned the same way. It was a more limited version of Haruhime's Uchide no Kozuchi. It only worked on a designated party member, the "apprentice," pushing him or her up a Lv, but no higher than Bell's current Lv. Currently at Lv7, Bell could not raise anyone above that Lv.

Hestia pressed a parchment for Bell to read. "Oh! I see!" remarked Bell.

"Yep, a new skill," said Hestia. "You're the big hero now. People look up to you, especially Rye. It's good that you're training up the next generation of my Familia."

"Of course goddess. Our Familia will keep growing," said Bell. The next to arrive was Kaz.

 **Kazuya Minegishi  
** Lv 6 - 7

Str: F - I  
Vit: S - I  
Dex: SS - I  
Agi: S - I  
Mgc: SSSS - I

 **Skills  
** Mystical Attunement  
Water / Ice Absorb  
Energetic Reservoir  
Dragon Slayer  
Lesser Key  
Affliction

 **Magic  
** Water Sculptor  
Drain  
Ars Goetia  
Succubus Kiss  
Death Wind (project foul black air, may instantly kill depending on Lv and Vit, cooldown time)

 **Dev Abilities  
** Mage C  
Magic Resist F  
Spirit Heal G  
Healing Power H  
Strong Defence H

As Abel, Kaz had two lovers, Scarlet the succubus and Yuzu Tanikawa. While Succubus Kiss represented Scarlet, his new spell represented his relationship with Yuzu. Yuzu was more of a supporting team member in the Survivors. She was also a wind magic specialist. Combining her wind magic was combined with his dark magic, it created the Death Wind spell. It did both wind and dark damage and could instantly kill a weak or vulnerable target.

Hestia could feel the danger inherent in this powerful spell as she viewed it in the Falna. "This is one scary spell you've gained this level," said Hestia. "At least it will help against the angels."

Hestia pressed a parchment for Kaz to read. "So, it's like a Mudo spell... Yeah, angels are very vulnerable to this kind of magic. Thanks for the update, Hestia," said Kaz. The next to come after Kaz left was Lili.

 **Liliruca Arde  
** Lv 5 - 6

Str: H - I  
Vit: G - I  
Dex: S - I  
Agi: D - I  
Mgc: C - I

 **Skills  
** Alter Assist  
Monster Drop +  
Mind Arrow  
Mimic Arrow  
Dexterity Seed  
Agility Seed

 **Magic  
** Cinderella +  
Isolation Corner (trap a victim in a pocket dimension, victim can escape earlier based on Lv & Mgc)

 **Dev Abilities  
** Shooter E  
Status Resist G  
Mixing G  
Chain Attack I

While she was still in the Soma Familia, Lili was very weak and quite isolated as the Familia members constantly tormented her. After joining the Hestia Familia, she finally found true friends who would look out for her. Not only that, she developed true strength and rose to Lv6, having a power which rivalled luminaries such as Ais Wallenstein and Finn Deimne. The sum of these experiences caused her develop this powerful spell which could temporarily take even the mightiest foe out of the battle.

"I got Chain Attack and Isolation Corner," said Lili.

"Great! Chain Attack lets you shoot faster. Isolation Corner removes that one annoying pest so your team can get to work on the others," said Hestia. The next to come was Haruhime.

 **Haruhime Sanjouno  
** Lv 5 - 6

Str: G - I  
Vit: G - I  
Dex: C - I  
Agi: C - I  
Mgc: S - I

 **Skills  
** Kokaji  
Magic Seed  
Vitality Seed

 **Magic  
** Uchide no Kozuchi  
Uga no Mitama  
Kokonoe  
Yata no Kagami  
Kusanagi  
Magatama (make a wish within limits, requires magic stones, varying cooldown)

 **Dev Abilities  
** Mage D  
Status Resist G  
Smithing H  
Spirit Healing H

Haruhime always dreamed of being rescued by a great hero. However, as a former prostitute-in-training, she felt that her status precluded that dream from coming true. With her new Magatama spell, she could make any dream she wanted become reality. Though powerful, this spell needed a magic stone as a power source, one comparable to how powerful a dream she wanted to come true. Even then, any effects it created were only temporary, lasting hours to possibly months, during which this spell was inactive.

Hestia pressed the parchment for Haruhime to read. "Magatama lets you do almost anything you want. It's the most powerful spell I've ever heard of a mortal having," said Hestia. "Please be very careful with it. Don't let anyone outside the Familia know about it."

"I understand," said Haruhime, putting on her kimono.

"We'll need to put a lot of thought into how we use it. We should talk it over before you cast the spell," said Hestia. "I think Abel would like to know we have this spell. Let's announce it at the round table talks."

"Okay," said Haruhime. When she left, Morgana came in to replace her.

 **Morgana Mona  
** Lv 5 - 6

Str: B - I  
Vit: G - I  
Dex: C - I  
Agi: S - I  
Mgc: S - I

 **Skills  
** Shapeshift  
Scanner  
Miracle Punch  
Mercurius  
Beaufort Scaling  
Wing Clipper (+dmg to winged foes)

 **Magic  
** Persona: Zorro  
Garu  
Salvation  
Sukunda  
Traesto

 **Dev Abilities  
** Status Resist G  
Mage C  
Magic Resist D  
Spirit Healing C

When Morgana defeated Yaldabaoth with his friends, the mascot cat dissolved into the Sea of Souls. For reasons unknown, the powers that be brought him to Orario. After learning of the presence of YHVH's Shard of Divinity beneath Orario, he realized his purpose here. It was to stop him, like the Phantom Thieves had done so with what was likely another shard, Yaldabaoth of the Sea of Souls. Having fought so many angels here and back home, he gained the Wing Clipper skill, a potent tool against angels.

Hestia pressed the parchment for Morgana to read. "Hey little mascot, did you find out why you were brought here?" asked Hestia.

"Yes, it was to help you fight the angels and YHVH," replied Morgana. "After our last expedition, we learned about the past."

"The past?" asked Hestia.

"Yeah, I mean what went on before Orario and everything today existed. We're going to talk about that during the meeting later. Thanks for the update," said Morgana. After Morgana left, Ryu came in and removed her top for her update.

 **Ryu Lion  
** Lv 5 - 6

Str: D - I  
Vit: E - I  
Dex: S - I  
Agi: S - I  
Mgc: A - I

 **Skill  
** Fairy Serenade  
Mind Load  
Aero Mana  
Fires of Vengeance  
Aero Run (+ run speed, generate burst of speed even in air)

 **Magic  
** Luminous Wind  
Noah Heal

 **Dev Abilities  
** Hunter C  
Status Resist G  
Magic Resist G  
Spirit Heal H  
Chain Attack I

Ryu favoured a fighting style which emphasized speed and quick strikes. She liked to juke and change directions to throw off opponents before coming in for a sudden attack. Chain Attack allowed her to strike more often, supporting this style. Aero Run helped this style even further, allowing her to move faster and even make sudden changes in movement while midair. Hestia pressed a parchment for Ryu to read.

"So this is my new skill, Aero Run?" asked Ryu, reading the paper.

"Yep," replied Hestia.

"I'll get some practice with it after the meeting," said Ryu. The rest got Falna updates, but were only halfway to their next level.

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After Falna updates, Hecate, and Commander Fushimi joined the Hestia Familia and the Survivors for a round table discussion. Abel opened the meeting by describing what he and the others had seen in the depths of the Dungeon. "Goddess, do you know anything about this?" asked Bell.

"No, not at all," replied Hestia.

Everyone turned to Hecate. "Same here, I don't remember any of this."

"How is that possible?" asked Fushimi.

"Maybe something happened in the past that made them forget," replied Welf. "If we go deeper, we might find another stone tablet with a clue on it."

"Okay, what should we do now?" asked Haruhime.

"We'll need an army. I also want to send a strike team to attack the Heralds directly, but I don't believe Abel and his team are enough on their own," replied Fushimi. "I don't think there are many adventurers strong enough to send with Abel's team."

"Haruhime, I think its time you told them about your Magatama spell," replied Hestia.

Haruhime told everyone about Magatama, which Abel confirmed by analyzing Haruhime's Falna through supernatural senses. "Okay, this spell can do almost anything, but getting rid of the Shard of Divinity outright is beyond its power. Instead, we can use it to make adventurers reach the peak of power, which is Lv10," said Abel.

"Why is Lv10 the highest you can go?" asked Ryu.

"Past that, the Falna becomes too powerful to be contained within a mortal. At that point, you'd need Arcanum to grow more powerful," replied Abel.

"Wait, that would mean we'd become gods!" said Bell.

"Yes," replied Abel. "You could get Arcanum sooner, but after Lv10, you have no choice."

"So, with Kokonoe, I can make nine people become Lv10?" asked Haruhime.

"Yeah, but you'd need a powerful magic stone for each person, one from a Floor Boss of F64 or deeper," replied Abel. "Along with my friends, we'd make a good team to send directly at the Great Heralds and Yaldabaoth if needed."

"So including Rye, we have all nine candidates," said Ryu.

"Actually, Kaz and Morgana won't need that. Once we're ready to go, I'll just merge with Kaz again. I can then restore Morgana's true power, so he's good too," said Abel.

"Great! That means we've got two freebies!" said Hestia.

"Now, what we need to do is convince Orario to mobilize an army. We'll need to find a way to buy enough time for that to happen," said Fushimi.

"Let my Familia buy you time," replied Hecate. "We're still not on the best terms with everyone right now."

"Okay," replied Fushimi. "I'll provide you a list of ways you can throw a monkey wrench into the plans of the Messians."

"Who else can we ask to join the strike team?" asked Wiene.

"Outside the Familia?" asked Midori. "How about Ais Wallenstein?"

"Yeah!" replied Bell.

"NO!" replied Hestia, Lili, and Wiene in unison.

"Ais huh? We couldn't ask for anyone better than the Sword Princess," said Welf.

Ryu and Haruhime also voted in favour, as did the remaining allies outside of the Hestia Familia. "Of course, Ais has to agree first. Otherwise, we'll need to ask someone else," said Fushimi.

"Mikoto Yamato of the Take Mikazuchi Familia," suggested Haruhime.

"Mikoto?" asked Bell. "Okay." Unlike Ais, everyone voted unanimously in favour of adding Mikoto to the strike team.

"You know, why don't we set up more joint runs into the Dungeon?" asked Atsuro. "We can train everyone, get Floor Boss magic stones, and arm people in one fell swoop."

"Yeah, that would be great!" said Bell. "I've heard only good things from other Familia about these runs. We made some new friends because of it."

"The next Denatus is coming in a few days isn't it?" Abel asked of Hestia.

"Yeah," replied Hestia.

"I'll attend with Titania," said Abel.

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When the next Denatus arrived, Abel announced everything to the assembled gods, with Titania handing out pictures of the tablet. "So, none of the gods remember anything from back then?" asked Abel.

"No sorry, I think we've lost our memories from then," said Athena.

"So to defeat this monster, Yaldabaoth, you want to have Orario form an army?" asked Take Mikazuchi.

"Yes, it will work in tandem with our strike team," said Abel. "We'd like to ask as many Familia as possible to commit resources to the front. If any Familia refuses, please perform rear guard operations and support at the very least."

"Even with the army down at the front, Rakia is still lurking out there. We'll need to defend Orario, so my Familia will remain to do so," said Athena.

"I've spoken with Abel before coming here. My entire Familia is already committed to the strike team," announced Hestia. "I have no one left to assign to the front."

"I've also spoken with Abel. Since my Familia does not have good relations with the others, we won't head to the front," said Hecate. "Instead, we're going to raise hell against the Messians. I'm sure a lot of people still want payback for those riots and attacks, so we'll smack 'em good for you guys."

Hermes chuckled. "Count me in, Hecate. I know some choice ways you can cause trouble."

"Is there anyone who wants to join the main army?" asked Titania.

Ganesha raised his hand. "I, Lord Ganesha, will commit my Familia to the front. The Messians ruined Monsterphilia this year and attacked members of my Familia. We want vengeance!"

"I will also send my Familia to the front lines," said Loki. "They framed my Ais for killing Father Paul, then had the nerve to use that as an excuse to burn down our home!"

"I will also commit my Familia to the front," said Kratos. "They came after my Familia during the Monsterphilia riots. It's time for payback!"

After the trio calmed down, Goibniu took the floor. "My Familia and I have not forgotten how the Messians torched our smithies. However, we aren't well suited for the front, so we'll offer special deals on equipment and maintenance for the main army once the battle gets underway."

"I'll echo the same sentiments as Goibniu," said Hephaestus. "We'll also provide similar services for a competitive price."

"My Familia has only two members. I can't do much other than offer medicine and healing potions," said Miach.

"I'll send a few of my best members to the front. The rest of my Familia will focus on providing high-quality spirits for raising the morale of Orario's army," said Soma.

"My Familia will go to the front," said Dionysus.

"My Familia is specialized in farming. I can feed the army, but military might is out of the question," said Demeter.

"Although my Familia is small, they will serve at the front," said Take Mikazuchi. "We'll focus more on support and logistics with Ame no Torifune."

"My Familia will remain behind to guard Orario," said Freya. "It's not a good idea to send all of the greatest Familia of Orario down to the front."

"You just want to avoid putting your Familia in the line of fire!" said Loki. "You should be down there with the rest of us!"

"I'm the leader of my Familia, not you. We'll do what we wish," said Freya.

Dian Cecht also echoed similar sentiments as Miach, focusing his Familia on supplying medical services. Thoth elected to send members down as a magical support bloc. Aphrodite also committed troops, as did Set. Other lesser known gods provided a gamut of services ranging from troops to vital, back end support services. "Okay, thank you all for your efforts," said Titania.

"In closing, please keep training and raise as many adventurers as high as you can. We'll need to be as strong as possible to face the Lv8 monsters and Messians at the bottom of the Dungeon. If you need good training spots, we have portals to F65, F68, and F75 with good monsters to train against," said Abel. "Thank you for your time."

With the heavy subjects finally out of the way, Abel and Titania left the meeting. "Okay, time to give people new names!" said Loki. All of the gods lit up with joy. "First up is Liliruca Arde of the Hestia Familia. What new name should we give her? Do we know anything special about her?"

"She worked as a supporter for almost her entire adventuring career, even after she left my Familia for Hestia's," said Soma.

"Yes," replied Hestia. "She's a crack archer too, but she is a supporter first and foremost."

"She's Lv6?" asked Take Mikazuchi, looking over her personal information. "Wow! Here we have the World's Deadliest Supporter!"

"I like that name. I'll second it," said Hestia.

"I'll third it," said Loki. No other gods refused the name. "So, Lili is the World's Deadliest Supporter. Haruhime Sanjouno will be next."

"Let's call her Tamamo. She's very beautiful and like a fox as a renard," said Take Mikazuchi. "She has a lot of unique magical powers."

"I'll second that name," said Hestia.

"I'll third it," said Hermes.

No gods rejected the name, so it stuck. "Haruhime shall be known as Tamamo. Next up is Ryu Lion," announced Loki.

"The Wind Lioness," said Hermes. "It fits. Her last name is Lion and her previous alias was Gale. She uses wind magic, and is as fast and ferocious as both the animal and the wind."

Hestia, Take Mikazuchi, and even Freya all agreed to the name. "Okay, so Wind Lioness it is," announced Loki.

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"World's Deadliest Supporter? Now, that name's got some danger behind it!" said Lili.

"Wind Lioness?" asked Ryu.

"I think it really suits you," said Welf. "Same with your name Haruhime."

"Bell, are you going to train Rye tomorrow?" asked Hestia.

"Sure," replied Bell. "We'll need him. I want to try to get him to Lv2 as soon as possible."

"Okay, let me help out with that," said Kaz.

"Me too," said Morgana.

"Thanks guys. I'll fetch Rye," said Bell.

Bell picked up Rye at the orphanage and escorted him to the Hestia Hall. After Kaz and Morgana joined the party, the four adventurers made their way to the Dungeon through the Babelite portal outside of Orario. They reached the F18 safe zone through one of the portals. "F18 is a safe zone," said Bell. "No monsters spawn here, but they might come in from other floors. Today, we're pitting you against a tougher monster, to try get you to level."

"So, it's like my exam to get to Lv2," said Rye.

"Yeah, it will be tough, but remember everything you've learned," said Kaz. "We'll be here to coach you. Go out there and get 'em!"

"I'm ready. Bring 'em on!" said Rye.

The group ascended to the previous floor, F17, entering the Great Wall of Grief. When they reached the centre, Goliath did not spawn. He had been felled recently by another Familia on an expedition deeper into the Dungeon. Bell and Rye waited behind while Kaz and Morgana ventured deeper onto the floor. "So, what are we going to feed Rye?" asked Morgana.

"I was thinking of a lygerfang," replied Kaz. "Hellhounds and almiraj are too weak, and minotaurs are too strong."

"Okay, I detect a pack of lygerfang to the west. Let's go fetch one," said Morgana.

As they went to find the pack, a group of five minotaurs spawned from the walls. Kaz killed two with an ice beam each and Morgana shredded the remainder with a tornado. They collected the magic stones and continued on. They found a pack of monsters, each of which resembled a smilodon with fur like a liger. Their fangs were large enough that being bitten by them would not be a pleasant experience. They noticed the two coming and sprang into action.

Kaz froze the one in the rear, stopping it dead in its tracks. Morgana sucked the rest into a tornado, which shredded them to bits. As Morgana collected the magic stones, Kaz pointed at the lygerfang's mouth, freezing it shut in a muzzle of ice. He then telekinetically lifted the ice, taking the lygerfang with it. They returned to the Great Wall of Grief, where they released the lygerfang in front of Rye, who raised his Tonitrus barrier.

As soon as the monster got free, it smelled Rye's lesser strength and pounced. Rye got his shield up in the nick of time to ward the lygerfang. It pawed ferociously, managing to rake Rye by reaching around the shield. Rye swung for the monster's head, but it quickly moved, causing Rye to miss. It lunged with claws swinging, but Rye managed to raise his shield in time. "You've got to slow him down! Aim for the legs!" cried Bell.

Having heard that, Rye entered a defensive stance, waiting for his chance. When the lygerfang reared back and pounced, Rye slammed it in the face with his shield. Staggering it, he swung for the monster's leg, opening a nasty cut on its front left knee, with electrical zaps added for emphasis. It swiped at Rye, who blocked and hopped back for space. The lygerfang tried to pursue, but its wound acted out, triggering pain which stalled it.

"Good, you got it where you want it. Time to finish it off!" said Kaz.

Rye now stood across from the lygerfang. Both waited for that one chance to make the final strike and end the match. The two foes charged at each other and swung just as they passed by. A brief moment passed and blood seeped out of a trio claw wounds on Rye's chest. A massive cut opened across the lygerfang's body, leaking large amounts of blood. The monster collapsed and crumbled into ash, leaving behind only a magic stone.

"Yes!" said Morgana. He quickly raced to Rye's side and began healing him with magic.

Kaz approached and joined the effort with a healing potion. "Well done!" said Kaz.

"Yeah, you did it!" said Bell. "I knew you could!"

"Thank you. Your coaching helped me," said Rye.

After retrieving the lygerfang's magic stone. Bell's party led Rye back to Hestia for his latest update. "How was your battle with the lygerfang?" asked Hestia.

"It was tough. I got clawed at least twice, on my cheeks and my chest," replied Rye.

 **Rye Baker  
** Lv 1 - 2

Str: A - I  
Vit: S - I  
Dex: C - I  
Agi: D - I  
Mgc: A - I

 **Skills  
** Bulwark  
Defender Aura (defence +1 rank to party members)

 **Magic  
** Tonitrus

 **Dev Abilities  
** Status Resist I  
Hunter I

Hestia pressed a parchment for Rye to read. "You're Lv2. Congratulations Rye!" said Hestia.

"Yes!" said Rye. "What do these new abilities do?"

Defender Aura was Rye's new skill. Since he employed a very defensive fighting style, it was natural for Rye to get this skill. He couldn't be everywhere at once, so this skill helped to mitigate that issue. He could protect people as long as they were in his party. "What do the letters mean?" asked Rye.

"The letters are how good that stat or ability is. I is the lowest, going all the way up to A, with S as the highest for most people."

"Most people?" asked Rye.

"A few select people have stats that go higher than S. Bell has that with all his stats except magic. Kaz has that with magic and dexterity," replied Hestia. "Oh, please don't talk about that outside of the Familia. That's supposed to be our little secret."

"No wonder they're so strong," said Rye. "My lips are shut. I won't tell a soul."

"Yeah, make sure to go with Bell to report your new level to the guild," said Hestia.

After Rye got dressed, he and Bell met Eina at the Pantheon building. "Oh! Lv2 already? You're growing up so fast, little guy," remarked Eina as she recorded the details. "I remember when you were just a Lv1 starting out."

"Please don't crack out the photo album," said Rye.

Eina chuckled. "I won't. At your current level, you can go all the way to F24 as a combatant, and up to F50 when a supporter for a party of Lv4 fighters."

"Thank you Eina," said Rye.

 **END OF CHAPTER**


	29. Rev 02 - Morale Builder

Disclaimer:  
DanMachi was created by Fujino Omori. Shin Megami Tensei was created by Atlus. This story uses reference material from them.

 **Demons of the Dungeon  
** **By: RB3  
** **Revelations 2: Morale Builder**

After the meeting on how to deal with Yaldabaoth, the Hestia Familia and Survivors went out and approached a number of Familia. As agreed, they wanted to arrange a large expedition into F68 to build morale and camaraderie among the Familia before they faced the Messians and angels in direct combat within the Dungeon. The first was the Take Mikazuchi Familia, who got approached by their friend Haruhime at a cafe.

"It sounds dangerous alright, but I'll join the mission. We need to stop the Messians and their God," said Mikoto.

"Are we going to train for the mission?" asked Ouka.

"Yeah actually, we were thinking of doing a joint expedition like we did the first time with the Miach and Hecate Familia," replied Haruhime.

"Oh! That expedition was great! We got a lot of magic stones. A lot of the Familia got levels too," said Ouka.

"Yeah, but we did that one a bit too early, before the portals to the bottom floors went up," said Haruhime. "This time, we can do it the right way."

"Who is else is being invited?" asked Mikoto.

"We've approached the Kratos and Hecate Familia," said Haruhime. "Hecate had to refuse. Her Familia was preparing to leave Orario to raid the Messians. Bell wanted to invite the Kratos Familia since their captain, Mord, had asked for an expedition. We had some problems with him before I joined the Hestia Familia."

"Oh yeah, I was there," said Ouka.

"Yeah, Bell said the same thing," said Haruhime. "Lord Abel wanted to get this run set up as a way to bury the hatchet and build trust before we take on Yaldabaoth."

"I see, so you want us to have your backs again in case something goes wrong?" asked Ouka.

Haruhime nodded affirmatively. "Lord Abel has also promised support in that case, so we have extra protection," replied Haruhime.

"I understand. This is a good opportunity for us too," said Ouka.

"Uh-huh, we were planning on fighting a Floor Boss of F68, the Last Reverie, the one in the volcano. The Hestia Familia has reserved the drops of the Floor Boss. Lord Abel suggested that you should limit your looting as a courtesy to our other guests. We're already showing a lot of favouritism by taking you on a second run, before many other Familia even got their first," said Haruhime.

"Sounds tough, but you're going to use that spell to boost us up, are you?" asked Ouka.

Haruhime nodded. "Once the Familia have agreed to participate, we're going to hold a big meeting to discuss strategy for this expedition."

"Okay, we're in. Let us know when the meeting starts," said Ouka.

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After getting confirmations from the Familia, the Survivors hosted a round-table discussion between the heads of the participating Familia in the colosseum Domain. The Survivors distributed several maps of F68, including those of the volcano interior. Other than Hestia reserving the Floor Boss' drops and any blacksmithing materials, Take Mikazuchi and Kratos' Familia would take turns collecting loot. The assembled Familia agreed to acquire anti-fire equipment, as protection from the volcano's flames and magma.

After discussing all details, the guests shook hands with each other and departed to make preparations. They met again at a later date back at the colosseum Domain in the Babelite base. Abel opened the meeting as usual with a lecture on demonic immunities. "Mord Latro, are you there?" asked Abel.

"Right here!" said Mord.

"Come on down and face a demon," said Abel.

Mord made his way through a small door at the base of the bleachers and grabbed a wooden sword from a nearby rack. A demon resembling a large man made of folded paper appeared in front of the Kratos Familia captain. It known as a Shiki-Ouji. When the buzzer sounded, the Shiki-Ouji charged forward to punch Mord. He evaded right and swung for the demon's leg. Even after scoring two more blows, Shiki-Ouji remained unharmed. It finally discovered where Mord was and kicked him away.

Mord rose from the ground and pondered his situation. "Come on Mord! Don't let him pick on you!" cried Scott.

Mord looked around and noticed the wall-mounted, flaming lanterns which lit the fighting area. That was when he got an idea. "Come on big guy! Are you scared to take me?" asked Mord to taunt the Shiki-Ouji.

In defiance of Mord's taunts, the Shiki-Ouji charged at Mord. As the last moment, the Kratos captain dove left. The demon inadvertently punched the retaining wall above a lantern. Mord smashed the lantern, splashing its flaming oil all over the Shiki-Ouji. The demon caught on fire and burned out completely. "Good thinking!" remarked Abel.

"Yeah! Who's the man?" boasted Mord, returning to his companions.

After the resistances lecture and opening training battle, the Familia split into groups to train. Some went a few rounds with select demons ranging from another Shiki-Ouji, to Girimehkala, and Legion. Others challenged other Familia members to sparring matches to test their mettle. Bell stood across from Mord as a training partner, former enemies now becoming respected friends. Mord kicked Bell into the air, but Bell flipped over and landed on his feet.

Bell ran in to strike, but Mord parried the blow, then kicked him down. He pointed his wooden sword at Bell's neck. "Nice!" said Bell. Mord helped him stand up, so they could take places for a second round.

At a shooting range, Lili, Ryoma, and an archer from the Kratos Familia spewed arrows at a series of moving targets. They were pictures of monsters stuck to posts which moved forward to simulate a monster charging. Lili plugged a green dragon in the head. Ryoma shot a firebird out of the sky. A Fomoire started advancing and Lili scored a lethal head shot on it. A lygerfang pounced up, but the Kratos archer struck it in the head. The monsters increased in intensity until a dragon reached the end and triggered a buzzer.

"311 targets, good work guys!" said Lili, giving high fives to her allies.

After a few days of training, Welf brought in the special artefact for the Kratos Familia, hidden under a cloth. Yuzu snapped a picture of Kratos flexing his muscles while wearing his new artefact, the Title Belt of Kratos. "This is a nice belt," said Kratos.

"You're the champ!" said Mord, admiring his god.

The belt was simply a large, black leather belt with gold plates. It was similar to those worn by combat sports champions. It had slots on its front plate for inserting magic stones to power the belt. When powered, it enabled the Kratos Familia to reach up to SSS rank in strength and SS rank in vitality. It also accelerated gains in these stats noticeably and retroactively enabled a Kratos Familia member to maximize these stats if they fell short in previous levels. The Title Belt was not very flashy in application, yet very practical.

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In the colosseum Domain, Hestia served magic croquettes for breakfast before the expedition. After a break to let their meal digest, the Familia suited up for battle. They assembled in the portal station and entered the portal to F68 in small groups. The first to depart was the main group consisting of the strongest members from the Survivors to Mord and his direct underlings. After they reached Order City, the expedition split up and looted different stores for treasure.

The Survivors flew the first group of the expedition to Crescent Moon City, which got its name from the shape of the bordering lake. The land in the region was extremely mountainous and impossible to traverse by foot. Numerous rivers crisscrossed the area, the only connection between the city and the volcano. After the guests looted the city, the next wave of adventurers came to occupy it as a beachhead for regional exploration and training.

The Survivors flew the main party to the peak of the volcano and deposited them on safe ground to begin the expedition. They found a spiral-like area of rock, the caldera, whose central area was the volcano's peak and ringed by lava. "The way down is on the west side," said Morgana.

Being active, lava flowed out of the peak, coming down as rivers down the side and through holes in the caldera to reach the ground. Kaz froze a path over the lava rivers, allowing the team to reach a ramp down at the northwestern edge of the spiral caldera. On the first basement, they found a long hallway with several pools of magma dotting the ground. "How are we going to cross this place?" asked Mord.

"You see that door next to the stairs? That leads to a large room full of treasure. If we got through there, we can skip half of the hall," said Morgana.

"We'll go that way then," said Ouka.

On entry, the expedition found this area much cooler and far less stuffy due to being away from the magma. "Phew, am I ever glad to be out of there," said Mord.

"Yeah, I'm glad Lemegeton is in our party," said Guile. "I would've passed out long ago if it wasn't for his magic."

"Stay sharp, monsters are lurking in this room," said Morgana.

The party immediately prepared spells to protect the group. Haruhime began casting Uchide no Kozuchi on select team members, focusing on frontline melee fighters. She then cast a round of Yata no Kagami to protect these warriors with illusory duplicates. Haruhime also summoned a pair of illusionary Ill Wyverns as extra fighters. Kaz summoned a Hare of Inaba, which resembled a patchwork rabbit, as though it had been torn to pieces and sewn back together again.

He then donated mind to help Haruhime recover. "Thanks Kaz," said Haruhime.

"Wow, I feel stronger already!" said Mord. "You've also increased our numbers too."

"They means less people taking hits," said Haruhime.

The expedition explored the massive chamber north of the hall, whose walls created a small labyrinth. After a quick detour to the west and south, the supporters looted some treasure chests. They returned to their northward path, collecting more treasure until they reached a long hallway which ran from east to west. A group of large dragons, which Morgana identified as Elder Valgang Dragons, approached from ahead. The group drew weapons and prepared for a confrontation.

Kaz lashed the group with leeching violet tendrils. They drained a massive amount of energy, filling his reserves. Haruhime bombarded the horde of dragons with Kusanagi. As the dragons burned in illusory fire, the expedition's warriors approached. Bell was the first in and evaded right away from a dragon's attempt to snap at him. He kicked the beast's head away, then charged at the body. He delivered three slashes, all hitting and dipping the Hestia Knife in Foxfire, enchanting it with the spell.

Ryu followed and slashed another dragon across the face. Before landing, she shot forward from Aero Run, slicing across the dragon's right side while landing. The blade passed through Foxfire, adding it to the blade. She then released a concurrently chanted Luminous Wind, scoring the first kill of the battle. "Wow!" said Scott.

"These guys are hardcore!" remarked Guile.

"Don't let them show us up. Get in there and fight!" cried Mord.

Being a supporter, Scott hung back and began tossing daggers. He embedded three of them into the dragon's head, but they did little lasting harm. As Guile moved in, one of the dragons spewed fire at him. His shield took the brunt of the damage, leaving him unharmed. Welf approached, holding up his sword. The flames were drawn to the blade, freeing Guile to advance. The dragon noticed Guile and tried to swipe at him, but Guile backed away, then wheeled to the right leg. Guile clubbed the leg with his mace, stunning the dragon momentarily.

Mord closed in and slashed the dragon's front left leg. The dragon roared in agony. Pari jetted ice until an icy shell had formed and immobilized that leg. Guile got a running start and slammed his shield on the joint of the other front leg. The dragon leaned on the wounded leg to move, but the pain caused it to lose footing and topple over. Guile proceeded to club the downed dragon with his mace. Mord swung for its neck, making a nasty cut across it. With a final chop, he had decapitated the beast.

"Yeah!" cheered Scott.

"Thanks for the save, Welf," said Guile.

"No problem. You owe me one now," said Welf.

Morgana detected something approaching from behind. "More coming in from the rear!" he cried.

Lili fired at a dragon at the front of the expedition, then turned around as she reloaded her crossbow. "Middle line, swap with the rear. We're being pincered!" called Lili.

Morgana took his position and hurled a tornado at it, shredding the beast to pieces. Another rounded the corner and breathed fire, forcing Morgana to scramble to safety. "Ah, my fur is burning!" he cried, snuffing out the small flame.

Lili fired arrows into the dragon's head, felling it. More dragons approached the corner, their footsteps thumping along the ground. Kaz formed an ice patch on the corner. As the dragons tried to pile in, they slipped and collapsed, stalled by the obstacle. One of the dragons managed to claw onto stable ground around the corner and breathed fire at the middle line. Welf rushed to the rear and grounded the spell upon his sword in the nick of time.

At the front, Bell felled the last Elder Valgang Dragon, then turned and joined the rest of the front line in rushing back to assist the rear. The dragons were starting to rise and slowly crossed the ice patch to round the corner. Ouka closed with one and chopped its right shoulder. The dragon roared in agony, then lunged to bite him, which he evaded by moving left. He baited another lunge attempt, dodged it, then went back at the knee of the same side. The dragon lost footing and fell onto its side, prompting him to escape.

Pari went to the exposed underbelly and stabbed it. The dragon roared in pain again. Ouka swung for the neck, decapitating the beast. After the ice patch vanished, Bell rounded the corner and saw six more dragons, three of which were trying to stand up. He sent a Firebolt at one, blowing it back to the ground. "Let our mages finish the rest!" said Lili.

Bell retreated, just as Haruhime finished casting the Kusanagi spell. Swords of pale blue flame rained upon the heap of dragons piled up by corner. The Elder Valgang Dragons were incinerated, but some survived, trying to get up and renew the attack. Kaz rained boulders of ice upon them, crushing and freezing the survivors to death. The hallway was finally clear. "Phew! That was a close one!" said Ouka.

"Yeah, I didn't detect those dragons at first. They just spawned suddenly," said Morgana.

"How many did we take out?" asked Chigusa.

"About twenty in total," replied Morgana.

"Wow, twenty... The monsters on these floors are rough," said Mord.

After healing any wounds suffered, the group continued onward. After rounding the corner ahead and turning south, they scored more treasure. They exited a door and found themselves in the middle of the hallway filled with magma pools. Despite having taken the long way, they had acquired much treasure to make the detour profitable. To cross the rest of the lava pools, Kaz held them frozen with magic while the others crossed. At the end of the hall, they found a ramp and descended to the next basement.

The group found a floor with several rivers of magma barring the way to the east. Kaz froze them, allowing them to cross safely. On the next basement, they found a massive lake of magma broken only by a quartet of small islands. Again, Kaz created a safe path, only to find a ramp which led back to the third level, but a different region. After navigating more magma-filled rooms, they found the way back to the fourth level, but to another section.

It had a straightforward path to the next ramp down, but many detours for treasure rooms which the group took. After reaching the ramp down, Morgana detected the last treasure room nearby. They entered and looted the chests, causing a group of monsters to spawn from the walls. They resembled devils made of volcanic rock, with hair of flames. "Fire elementals," announced Morgana.

The monsters and the front line met and exchanged blows. Kaz formed a swirling blizzard which blasted snow into enemy eyes. Blinded, they stopped their assault to flail about uselessly. Wiene took to the skies and saw an elemental readying to attack in the rear. She rained Garnet Blasts upon it and knocked her target down. She continued the destruction to other elementals close by in a blitz of explosions.

Bell made multiple slices on a fire elemental, opening large cuts across the monster's chest and causing it to collapse and die. Welf cast Will O' Wisp to disrupt the forming of another fire elemental's fireball. He then closed in and hacked the monster to bits. Ryu evaded a fireball, then used Aero Run to close and slash the fire elemental as she zipped forward. She wheeled to the elemental's back and finished with a final stroke.

Lili shot another elemental in the back, just as it recovered from being blinded. She fired into the forehead of another, felling the elemental. Haruhime fired dark bolts from the tip of her staff. Her target evaded her first pair of shots. The next nailed it in the chest, causing it to collapse and crumble into ash. One of the summoned Ill Wyverns snapped at a fire elemental, but missed. The elemental punched it in the jaw. Once the Ill Wyvern cleared its head, it evaded a punch, then lunged and chomped down on the neck of its foe.

With the elementals dead, the expedition was able to carry on. They reached the fifth and final floor of the volcano. This floor was like a spoked wheel with rooms at each cardinal direction, as well as the diagonals. A moat of magma surrounded the stairs with a second moat surrounding the outer ring. "The western room has treasure. We can find the Floor Boss south of that room," said Morgana.

"Let's go west, grab all the treasure we can," said Mord.

Kaz froze a path across the moats of lava. They entered the room and found the treasure box surrounded by candelabra. Scott claimed the contents of the chest before the party made its way to the room in the southwest. Upon entry, they found a single large red orb before an altar which bore another orb containing fire. The large red orb burst into flame and out popped a massive serpentine monster. She had long red hair, the torso of a young woman with six arms, and her bottom half being a fiery red serpent's tail. She was armed with scimitars in each hand.

"That's the Floor Boss, the Matron Lamia," Morgana informed his team.

The Matron Lamia spit a fireball at the group. Welf stepped forward and grounded the spell on the blade of his sword. Bell raced forward and slashed. The Matron Lamia parried, then swung back. Bell parried the three strikes, then backed away and parried another two strikes coming from other arms. "Move back!" cried Kaz.

Bell moved away, then Kaz blasted her with an ice beam. The Lamia got hurled back, crashing into the ground with a patch of ice now spreading across her chest. She rebounded and shattered the ice. She breathed in to ready a fireball, which Welf exploded with a Will O' Wisp, staggering the Matron Lamia momentarily. Lili fired arrows at her, but she batted them out of the air. "We've got company! Every monster on the floor is coming our way!" said Morgana.

"What? How?" asked Mord.

"They're responding to our attack on the Floor Boss," replied Morgana.

"Form a line at the door. Keep 'em out of the room!" said Lili.

Welf retreated from the front to the rear. A dragon rounded the corner and breathed fire into the room. Welf held up his sword to ground the flames. Some hellhounds dashed in from around the corner, making a beeline for the room. Welf cut down three, but two managed to slip past him. Lili riddled the first beast with arrows, killing it. The other tried to pounce on Asuka, but Chigusa stuck a knife into its ribs. She shoved the dead beast to the ground, where it disintegrated and left a magic stone.

With swords swinging, the Lamia rushed at Kaz, who dove away in the nick of time. As he rose, he put an ice patch beneath her tail. The Lamia started to wobble, but managed to stay upright. Bell shot a Firebolt at her, causing her to try to parry it, only to lose balance and fall. She quickly rebounded, though remained wobbly from the icy ground. Kaz removed the ice to allow Mord to approach. Mord threw a strike across the chest, but the Matron Lamia parried. Another two blades came back at him and Mord parried them.

Guile approached, his shield raised defensively. The Lamia swung at it fruitlessly. Guile retorted with a swing, but the Lamia parried. She then hit back a trio of swings forcing Guile back onto the defensive. After another onslaught, she knocked away Guile. She sucked in air, then spewed a blast of flame. Bell, Kaz, and Mord scattered for safety, but Guile held up his shield for protection. Pari hurled an icicle in return, forcing the Matron Lamia to cut it down.

Ryu slipped into the unwatched flank and darted in for a slash. The Lamia noticed, but moved too late and got cut cross her central left biceps. The strike drew blood, causing her to turn her attention to Ryu. She hurled numerous swings at Ryu, who bounded around to evade them. One nicked Ryu in the leg as she jumped into the air and used Aero Run to escape. The Lamia tried to spit fireballs after her, but Ryu shot away again.

Ryu faced the Lamia and released a concurrently chanted Luminous Wind. The blasts of wind pummelled the Lamia and knocked her down. She got up, only to get caught in a cast of Futsu no Mitama. Mikoto's gravity cylinder had trapped the Lamia, crushing it within. Despite suffering great damage, the Lamia managed to power out of the spell, overwhelming Mikoto. Ryu came in and slashed the still stunned monster across the chest.

Mord came in and impaled it. The Lamia tried to breathe fire at him, but he hopped aside in the nick of time. Guile stormed in and slammed her face with his shield. The Lamia toppled over. With one brutal, downward blow, Guile's mace crushed the Lamia's head to a pulp. The Lamia disintegrated and left behind her magic stone and a pair of her scimitars. Despite their victory, it was not over yet.

"Help! We're being overrun!" cried Lili. She sent arrows into the door, trying to pick off as much of the horde storming the room. Some of them got past her fire and burst into the room.

One of them pounced onto Haruhime, knocking her to the ground. Ryu came in and stabbed the dog trying to maul her fellow Familia member. "Thank you, Ryu," said Haruhime.

"You're welcome," said Ryu.

A dragon had entered the room and started breathing fire at Ryu. She took Haruhime and leapt away, just before the stream seared the ground they left. Bell descended on the dragon and felled it with a trio of well-placed slices to the neck. A hellhound pounced onto him and bit into his arm. The attack shattered an illusion, saving Bell from harm. Welf reached the dog and kicked it in the face. After it slipped off of him, he chopped the hellhound in half with a single swing.

"You okay?" asked Welf.

"Yeah, thanks to your save," said Bell.

Mikoto cast her new spell, Futsunushi, which put a singularity by the door's entrance. The monsters blundered into it foolishly, getting lifted into the air and forced to orbit it like moons. Mikoto dashed to the monsters and sliced all of them to bits. Kaz froze a pouncing hellhound midair. Ouka saw it coming from the corner of his eye and leaned away, allowing it to hit the floor and shatter. He nodded knowingly to Kaz.

Scott stuck his knife into a hellhound's eye, drawing copious amounts of blood. He removed his weapon and kicked the dog away. "That was the last of them," said Scott.

Guile took a look around at the carnage. "Holy crap! The Floor Boss wasn't even the hard part. Getting out was a whole other matter."

"Phew, I never expected to have to fight off the whole volcano during our fight with the Floor Boss," said Welf.

"Yeah, but we won," said Lili.

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The expedition returned to the Babelite base richer than when they left, with bags full of rarities and magic stones from the volcano. They arranged their hard-won treasures on tables and took photographs to commemorate this event. The Kratos Familia had found stat seeds, a fire shield, and a dark sword. The fire shield was a brass shield which had a flame-like design. It defended against fire, as well as ice attacks to a lesser extent. The dark sword was a weapon which emitted dark energy, breaking down whatever it struck.

The Take Mikazuchi Familia earned stat seeds and a suit of fire armour. The fire armour was brass-coloured like the shield, with flame-like patterns around openings for the arms and torso. The Hestia Familia got the Floor Boss' magic stone as requested. Now, they had two of the nine needed for empowering the special team for the mission at the Dungeon's bottom. They also got a pair of the Matron Lamia's scimitars, which were magically enchanted to be stronger and lighter.

"Thank you, Lord Abel, for inviting my Familia to this event," said Kratos.

"Yes, thank you for bringing us a second time," said Take Mikazuchi.

"Of course, it was great to have you as our guests. Take care and be ready for when we face Yaldabaoth," said Abel.

 **END OF CHAPTER**


	30. Rev 03 - The War to End All Wars

Disclaimer:  
DanMachi was created by Fujino Omori. Shin Megami Tensei was created by Atlus. This story uses reference material from them.

 **Demons of the Dungeon  
** **By: RB3  
** **Revelations 3: The War to End All Wars**

After the great adventure yesterday, the Hestia Familia decided to rest for the day. During this time, Hestia made updates to the Falna of her Familia. Most of the Familia were mid way through their current level, with Bell approaching the peak of Lv7 with Kaz and Morgana not far behind. Among the last to receive their updates were Ryu and Wiene. When Ryu came in, she removed her shirt and lay prone on the bed. Hestia smeared a drop of her blood down Ryu's back, revealing the secrets of the Falna.

 **Ryu Lion  
** Lv 6 - 7

Str: D - I  
Vit: E - I  
Dex: S - I  
Agi: S - I  
Mgc: A - I

 **Skills  
** Fairy Serenade  
Mind Load  
Aero Mana  
Multitasking  
Aero Run

 **Magic  
** Luminous Wind  
Noah Heal  
Displacing Wind (no chant, teleport to nearby location)

 **Dev Abilities  
** Hunter B  
Status Resist G  
Magic Resist F  
Spirit Heal G  
Chain Attack H

Ryu's new spell was Displacing Wind, a result of her experiences working in the Hostess of Fertility. Her former job was quite hectic, especially during the nights. She was always rushing back and forth, getting food to the restaurant's numerous guests, then returning the dirty plates for cleaning. Her desire to be faster created the ultimate in mobility skills, Displacing Wind, allowing her to just pop up wherever she wanted to be.

Hestia pressed the parchment for Ryu to read. "A teleportation spell?" asked Ryu.

"Yep, I'd be careful of overusing this. It sounds like you could exhaust yourself in a hurry if you were careless," said Hestia.

"Despite the drawback, this sounds very powerful," said Ryu, putting on her clothes.

"Oh yes! I heard Lord Abel and some demons have this ability too," said Hestia.

"Thank you goddess, I've got chores to do," said Ryu. When Ryu left, Wiene came in for her update.

 **Wiene  
** Lv 5 - 6

Str: F - I  
Vit: F - I  
Dex: S - I  
Agi: S - I  
Mgc: S - I

 **Skills  
** Vouivre Traits  
Xenos  
Soaring  
Garnet Barrier  
Afterburner (increase speed, uses mind)

 **Magic  
** Garnet Blast  
Garnet Hypnosis

 **Dev Abilities  
** Status Resist G  
Magic Resist G  
Escape G  
Spirit Heal H  
Healing Power I

Wiene's new skill was Afterburner, a result of the joy she felt when flying through the air and her focus on speed. She was a mobility-oriented fighter, just like Bell and Ryu. Hestia pressed the parchment for Wiene to read. "So, another boost of speed?" asked Wiene.

"Yep, but just be careful with this one. It can burn up all your mind if you overuse it," said Hestia.

"Still, I like it!" said Wiene. "Thank you Hestia."

Ryu, Bell, and Wiene went to the Pantheon to update their records at the Guild. After submitting the forms to Eina, they noticed a few bulletins on the board indicating newly promoted adventurers. Two were Ouka and Mikoto, both of whom had reached Lv7 after defeating the Matron Lamia. Mord Latro, Scott Olds, and Guile India of the Kratos Familia all got Lv6 for the same reason. Medea, the Hecate Familia captain, also reached Lv7 after defeating an angelic Dominion solo during sabotage missions against the Messians.

The Hestia Familia were glad for the successes of their friends. They noticed some of the Loki Familia present, looking over the same boards for newly promoted adventurers. They included Lefiya, Ais, and Tiona. "Oh, hello Bell," said Ais, noticing him by the boards.

"Uh yeah, hi Ais," said Bell.

Wiene moved closer to Bell. "Now's your chance. Tell her about the mission," said Wiene.

"Uh okay," replied Bell. "Ais, my Familia is planning to go on a mission with Lord Abel into the bottom of the Dungeon. If it comes down to it, we will fight Yaldabaoth. We need more people to carry it out."

"So you want me to help you on this mission?" asked Ais.

"Yes, it's a very dangerous thing we are attempting. We need strong people who we can trust to have our backs," said Ryu.

"We believe you'd be the best person to complement our team," replied Bell.

"Okay, I'll need to speak with my captain and goddess, but if they give me the okay, I'm willing to assist," said Ais.

"Thank you Ais," said Bell.

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The next day, the Hestia Familia and Survivors went to F76. After descending the tunnel, they had entered an office high in a modern building. The interior had desk and chair fragments scattered all over the floor. The windows had large cracks and sharp points jutting into holes. In the hallway, the group approached an elevator. Its floor indicator light had been smashed open and its wires left exposed. The elevator doors were rusted shut and impossible to open for a normal person.

With superhuman strength, Atsuro tore the doors open and found a long shaft leading down. The group boarded Yog, who carried them down the shaft, eventually reaching the ground floor. Outside, they looked at the building and saw a familiar sight. The great building was essentially a pair of towers joined together by a common base. It was known as the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, or Tocho for short. If this structure was here, then this floor likely contained part or even all of the ward of Shinjuku.

"Are we in Tokyo now?" asked Yuzu.

"We're still in the Dungeon. This floor just looks like a recreation of Shinjuku," replied Abel.

"You must know this place well," said Bell.

"Yeah, there was a place like this back home," said Atsuro. "Follow us."

The expedition travelled into a grassy wooded area known as Shinjuku Park. Surprisingly, the trees continued to grow underground, a result of the light coming from the crystals which lined the roof above. "Hmm, the way down is to the east, in the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden," said Morgana. "Look for a manhole. There's also a tablet there."

The Survivors used Yog to fly to the garden, where they landed at its northwestern edge. Abel looked at the tablet, which coalesced into words both the Survivors and Hestia Familia could read. Suddenly, the world seemed to shift again as with the first tablet. They found themselves in the large throne room of a palace, which appeared to be in India judging from the decor. Three Hindu gods were seated on a throne each, granting an audience to Ganesha.

"Why?" asked Ganesha. "How can you stand idly by as YHVH picks us off, one by one? We won India's independence, but still they harass our followers!"

"We simply don't have the power to directly oppose monotheism as we are now," replied Shiva, the ashen Hindu god who sat on the rightmost throne from Ganesha.

"Holding the Muslims at bay is hard enough as it is," replied the centre god, Vishnu. "Now people are abandoning the gods altogether, abandoning religion itself."

"Us Devas and our brothers, the Buddhists, are being weakened by this crisis of faith," said Brahma, the bearded god on the left. "Even the monotheists weren't spared. YHVH's tyranny has brought this all upon the gods. We will all pay the price."

"If you won't do anything, then I will take matters into my own hands!" said Ganesha. He promptly stormed out of the throne of the Trimurti and returned to his personal quarters. Once he slammed the door shut, he pounded his fist on a table in a fit of rage. "They're fools! All of them!"

Ganesha reflected on the events which brought India and the world to this point. As he reflected, the Hestia Familia and Survivors could see the images which raced through his mind. One was the devastated ground of Germany at the end of World War I. The Norse gods, the Aesir, lay defeated beneath YHVH, lying in pools of their own blood. YHVH cast an unknown spell, which caused all of their bodies to vanish. Another image showed the Amatsukami, the Japanese gods, suffering a similar predicament after World War II.

The images faded when a knock came from the door and Ganesha called the person in. It was a female servant. "Lord Hermes is here to meet you. He has good news," said the servant.

Ganesha had his servant escort Hermes to his personal quarters so they could talk about the task the Olympian god was performing. "I've found them! I know where he's keeping the other gods!" proclaimed Hermes.

"You've found the Tomb of Divinity?" asked Ganesha.

"Yes! It's in our underworld, in Tartarus. His angels are running it as a prison for fallen gods. I even got a map and a schedule of the guard patrols," said Hermes, unfurling a map of the Tomb of Divinity's layout.

"Great! Let's get this party started!" said Ganesha.

After studying the tomb's layout, Ganesha and Hermes made their way to the Tomb of Divinity, sneaking into the grounds of the palace-like mausoleum. The angels were changing shifts, allowing some to rest while a new group tended to the prison. Security had been weakened by this change and it was easy for Ganesha and Hermes to hop onto an unwatched rear wall. They entered a nearby tower and descended the stairs until they reached the underground.

Here, the bowels of the tomb consisted of numerous hallways with alcoves along their side. Each alcove contained a group of six lidless caskets, each of which contained a god. All of them lay dormant, motionless in a death-like trance. An angel resembling a robed man in a wheel patrolled the halls. Ganesha felt an angel moving around a corner. Once the angel passed by, Ganesha jumped out and lopped off the angel's head with a talwar. The angel disintegrated instantly.

They found a group of six Olympian gods in the nearest alcove, one of which was the goddess Hestia. Hermes tapped Hestia's forehead, which caused her eyes to open, as though awakening from an eternity's worth of slumber. "Ow! What happened?" she asked, wincing when the light of magical torches met her eyes.

"Take this. This nectar is ambrosia. It will help you recover," said Hermes, pressing a bottle filled with a golden liquid to Hestia's lips.

Once it went down her gullet, she felt renewed. "Where am I?" asked Hestia as she saw the tomb's walls. "Why am I here?"

"You were captured by the angels. They kept you locked up here for nearly 1500 years," replied Ganesha.

"Has it really been that long?" asked Hestia incredulously as she sat up.

"Yeah," replied Ganesha. "We gods are few in number now. Barring small pockets of godly resistance, only the Devas and Buddhist gods remain."

Hestia noticed an angel in blue robes, a Cherub, blundering into their meeting. She quickly incinerated the angel with a burst of flame. "We have to hurry, they're bound to know we're here by now," said Hermes.

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The vision faded and everyone found themselves back at the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden tablet. "So, Yaldabaoth captured the gods, but Ganesha and Hermes freed them," said Welf.

"When Yaldabaoth first appeared in the world, we gods thought nothing of it. As the years went by, he demanded worship of only himself and no other gods. He crushed pantheon after pantheon, beginning with the Mesopotamians, then the Egyptians," said Atsuro, reading out the words. "He then used the Roman Empire to spread monotheism into Europe, then collapsed it with the defeat of its gods."

"So, this is how Yaldabaoth got his start," said Welf.

"Yeah, let's continue," said Abel. "When Europe spread across the world in the Age of Exploration, monotheism came with them, and YHVH vanquished the old African and American gods. When the first World War broke out, he pacified the Aesir. When the second World War broke out, he brought down the Amatsukami. The last remaining gods were the Devas and their Buddhist allies. The situation was bleak, made even bleaker by a dire new crisis."

"That was the rise of atheism. The Hindu gods talked about it," said Atsuro.

"Yaldabaoth's tyranny caused his subjects to reject it, and him, causing the rise of atheism in mortals," said Abel, reading the tablet. "Arcanum drew much of its power from faith, but here was a world rapidly losing its faith. It was a crisis never before seen in the world. Hope was dwindling, until Hermes made a breakthrough. He found the Tomb of Divinity, where the gods had been sealed. With Ganesha's help, they worked to free and restore the gods."

The group suddenly felt a presence approach them. It was a dozen monsters which resembled eyes plucked out from their socket. Somehow, they moved on their own, eerily floating forward with their blank, distant gazes. "What are they?" asked Welf.

"No idea, let's call them gazers," replied Morgana.

The gazers fired orange beams, which forced the group to scatter. When they hit the grass, it got charred black. One of them struck Lili with a white beam. She became dizzy, seeing only white and flailing about in a daze. Morgana cast a Salvation spell upon her, clearing her mind and vision in time for her to evade a heat ray. She returned arrows at the gazer. The floating eyeball was unfazed and retorted with heat rays. Bell landed near that gazer and stabbed it twice in the back. With a kick, he sent the strange monster to the ground, where it crumbled to ash and a magic stone.

Another two fired at Abel, who teleported away. One of them noticed Welf and turned to fire at him. Welf grounded the attack, then rushed forward and chopped his foe in half. The gazer crumbled into ash and left behind a magic stone. Ryu dropped in and slashed the other. As it fumbled about, she cast a Displacing Wind and reappeared behind it. She then stuck a blade into its back. The gazer turned to ash and crumbled, leaving behind yet another magic stone.

Mao plunged his axe-like paddle into the final gazer. He let loose an electrical discharge, shocking the monster off of his weapon. It crumbled into ash shortly afterwards. "What kind of monsters are these?" asked Haruhime.

"They must be mutants. They're creatures that became altered after being exposed to radiation from the nuclear war," replied Atsuro.

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The expedition descended a manhole and discovered that a tunnel had been dug into the underground utility vault. It led deeper into the Dungeon to F77, out into a park beside a skyscraper. Unlike the previous floor, this city was a Western one, with signs written in English. It was as devastated and ruined as the rest of the Ruins of the Old World. As they flew eastward in Yog, following Morgana's directions, a glinting object travelled towards them.

The object was a shell! Abel quickly put up a barrier, which took the hit. The warhead exploded with blinding light and intense heat. The explosion also destroyed all of the buildings on the city block below. "What was that?" asked Yuzu.

"That was a nuclear warhead!" said Atsuro.

"Where did it come from?" asked Lili.

"The east," replied Abel.

Yog approached a single building which took up much of a city block in the suburbs. It was an R&D site of Cybertronic Computer Systems according to the sign on its front lawn. A tablet stood near the building, marking it as the location of the tunnel down. A parking lot separated the group from the R&D building. In the centre was a towering, biped war machine with inward bending legs. The camouflage green robot had a long tube on its back, meant for lobbing shells. It had guns grafted onto arms. It was the Floor Boss.

This war machine was as Cyber Gear Rex, according to the comps. Cyber Gear Rex fired energy bolts at Yog, who evaded and unloaded his passengers behind an apartment building. Rex continued firing despite hitting the building, trying to raze it to clear a line of fire to the expedition. Several smaller robots resembling bulky, silver men started to converge on their location. According to the comps, these smaller, human-like robots were of the CCS 100W series, also called the "Arnold" as an affectionate nickname by its creators.

"Robots?" asked Atsuro.

Each Arnold carried an energy rifle and started firing it as they advanced towards the expedition. Abel arced lightning at the Arnolds, causing three to experience deadly shorts and power surges. Smalls explosions and flames started flaring out of their chassis and one outright exploded. "Take care of the little ones. I'm going for the big guy," said Abel.

"Right," said Bell.

Abel teleported away and reappeared beside Rex. He blasted the robot with a torrent of lightning, stunning it and causing shorts which threw its memory into chaos. Rex started firing around the parking lot randomly, causing massive damage trying to hit Abel. Rex managed to reboot its systems and regained its composure. Yog rained orbs down upon it, bumping it back repeatedly. Despite being knocked about, it launched a missile at Yog, only for him to reflect it. Rex got staggered from the explosion of its own missile, left open for several precious seconds.

Scarlet suddenly appeared behind and sucked energy from Rex with wispy violet tendrils. Rex turned around and fired lasers at her, but she simply absorbed the shots. She blasted the mecha with a jet of flame, causing it to fall. She zipped away to heal Yog. Mao jumped in and swung into the leg. It sent electricity into the cut, entering an exposed wire and shorting Rex. It recovered and started pelting him and Abel with machine gun fire. Mao formed a defensive barrier, but Abel absorbed his shots, becoming renewed from the energy released.

Abel formed a Seal of Bel on the parking lot. The spade-like magic sigil wore on Rex, stopping it in its tracks while eroding its power. As a final, desperate attack, Rex launched a nuclear shell into the air. Yog opened a white portal in its path, from which the Chains of Aforgomon lashed out. They snatched the shell and dragged it into the white void. The chains wrapped around Rex and started to drag him in. Rex flailed its legs, but was unable to break free.

It activated its thrusters in an attempt to fly away and snap the chains, but they held firmly. Mao and Abel hurled more electricity at Rex, causing its systems to short again. The Chains of Aforgomon towed it into the white void, where it got disintegrated. "Yes, Abel darling!" cheered Scarlet.

"Let's help out the others," said Mao.

Behind the ruined apartment building, Bell slashed an Arnold unit twice in the chest leaving gashes in the metal. He then sped away before the Arnold turned around in an attempt to target him. Bell evaded its energy fire, then closed and kicked the robot down. It casually got up and resumed shooting. Bell hopped away from the crimson shots, then blasted the Arnold to pieces with a Firebolt. Its magic stone rolled out of its charred wreckage.

Welf struck another Arnold's body, finding it tough and unyielding, his sword deflecting off of the metal. Welf changed targets to the Arnold's main hand, severing it from the rest of the arm. After kicking the robot away, Welf grabbed its rifle and shot the Arnold fatally. "Phew!" he remarked.

Haruhime fired dark bolts at another Arnold unit, which was only staggered despite taking clean hits. She tried to dodge its fire, but got nicked in the right arm. Her appearance flickered, meaning that only an image got damaged. Her Ill Wyvern illusion swooped down and snatched the Arnold into the air. It dropped the robot into a crowd of other Arnolds, knocking all of them into a heap. She then pummelled the pile with Kusanagi. They all became engulfed in spectral blue flame, slowly burning away, layer by layer.

Lili charged an arrow with Firebolt, then sent it at a different Arnold. The robot exploded on impact, leaving nothing but smashed limbs and a torso. Yuzu's Vidofnir arced electricity into a crowd of Arnolds, causing them to convulse chaotically before either exploding or collapsing in smouldering heaps. "That's the last of them," said Yuzu.

"Yeah, these ones were tough. Only magic worked well against them," said Welf.

"Robots weak!" said Hector.

"Nobody is as strong as you are, Hector," said Midori.

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The expedition gathered around the tablet by Cybertronic Computer Systems. After the words coalesced into something legible, the world changed into a scene from the distant past. The scene was a lab from the modern world, something that would not be unusual to the Survivors. It was the lab of Cybertronic Computer Systems. A woman came into view and started work on the mechanical arm of an Arnold unit on a workbench.

The woman had blue hair and wore glasses and a white lab coat. "That's Asfi!" said Bell.

Welf took a good look at the woman's face and confirmed that it was indeed Asfi Al Andromeda of the Hermes Familia. "How is she here?" asked Welf. As if to answer Welf, the vision beamed information into their minds. "Oh! So this is one of her past lives! She was Agnes Prince back then."

Agnes finished connecting probes to the exposed wires of the defective arm and ran a battery of tests while it was hooked up to a computer. The computer displayed a series of information, such as the response time and voltage coming into the arm's input socket. When she was done, she wired the arm to a prototype Arnold head. She plugged the CPU chip into a slot on the back of the head, then closed the lid. The test started and the fingers moved, albeit with a jerky slowness.

Time passed and eventually Agnes started work on a much larger robot, the Cyber Gear Rex. This robot was meant to be an all-terrain artillery platform, able to move into the most rugged terrain and launch nuclear warheads into an enemy force or nation. It did so with a specially made rail gun module on its back. She continued work on Rex's sensor array, a dish location on its left shoulder. It was the eyes and ears of the mecha. Without it, the pilot would be blind unless he opened the cockpit's armoured sheath.

Time passed by and the vision showed a US military base somewhere in the Ukraine. A squad of Cyber Gear Rexes stood in a line with cockpits open and American pilots climbing into them using cables. One of the pilots was a red-headed man with a familiar face. "Hey, that's me!" said Welf.

"This must be one of your past lives," said Haruhime.

The vision beamed more information into the minds of the expedition. "You were called Liam McLeary then," said Ryu.

Liam and the other pilots boarded the Rexes and piloted them to an unknown location in the wilderness. Once in position, they lobbed warheads over the border into Russia. They travelled all the way to the capital of Moscow. One of the shells landed on the Kremlin and exploded in a great flash of light. A fiery mushroom arose from the Kremlin as it was blasted to ash along with the nearby buildings. Other shells landed in other districts, levelling them under fiery mushrooms.

As Russia burned, a missile silo opened in another part of the country. A rocket ascended into the skies and soared rapidly over the Pacific Ocean, reaching the skies above the US. The rocket burst open and released a dozen MIRVs, smaller missiles, upon the US. One of the missiles descended upon the Pentagon and in a flash of light, reduced it to ash, leaving behind a mushroom-shaped plume of flame. Another went to the White House and annihilated it instantly.

At the location of the Rexes, Russian planes swooshed by overhead. A blanket of explosions ensued, blowing the Rexes to pieces and killing their pilots, Liam included. "So that's how you died..." said Haruhime.

The vision shifted to a scene of the planet Earth, as viewed from orbit. Dozens of ICBMs arose from each of the various nations of the Earth, soaring to those of its enemies. With each explosion came a bright flash and a plume of flame sprouting like a mushroom into the sky. The Earth was devastated and rendered an ashen wasteland. The Old World had ended at that moment, but that was not the end of the feud between YHVH and the gods.

The gods arose soon after and battled Yaldabaoth like in the previous vision. They had him surrounded and reduced him into the Shard of Divinity. It was a Pyrrhic victory, for although they had defeated him, the world had been ruined by the nuclear war. As their last act, they raised their hands aloft, sending the souls of the survivors and victims alike into the sky like streaks of golden light. These brave souls would be the seeds from which new mortals would sprout.

The gods had created a massive gold and marble temple, the Shrine of the Demiurge, to seal the Shard away. A massive crater opened around the temple as the gods sank it into the deepest recesses of the earth. The ruined wastes of the Old World were dragged down along with the shrine, forming a labyrinthine structure over it. Even more earth and rock were put on top to ensure that the Shrine of the Demiurge was buried as deeply as possible. This new structure became the Dungeon of modern times and capped off by a layer of earth.

"This is horrible!" said Lili.

"It's like what Rakia did to the elven forests," said Ryu.

"As the gods became freed, Yaldabaoth had his own plans. During the time of atheism, tensions were high between the mortal nations, creating new weapons with which to wage war. Yaldabaoth pushed the mortals towards one final, catastrophic war which devastated the planet," said Welf, reading the tablet. "The gods fought back and sealed Yaldabaoth deep in the ground, in his own personal Dungeon."

"So he really is at the bottom, and the Dungeon literally is a dungeon," said Lili.

"Now, the angels want to free him and start everything all over again," said Yuzu.

"Not if we can do anything about it!" said Welf.

"Let's head back for now," said Abel.

 **END OF CHAPTER**


	31. Rev 04 - First of a Kind

Disclaimer:  
DanMachi was created by Fujino Omori. Shin Megami Tensei was created by Atlus. This story uses reference material from them.

 **Demons of the Dungeon  
** **By: RB3  
** **Revelations 4: First of a Kind**

The joint expedition returned to the Hestia Hall where they met Hestia, who seemed more agitated than usual. "Bell, am I glad you came back!" said Hestia.

"Goddess, what's the matter?" asked Bell.

"Freya has challenged our Familia to a War Game!" replied Hestia.

"A War Game? Why? What have we ever done to her?" asked Welf.

"She wants Bell," replied Hestia. "She's had her eye on him ever since she saw him running down the streets one day."

"What form will the War Game take?" asked Kaz.

"It hasn't been decided yet. I'm trying to get the match settled as a duel," said Hestia. "I have a week to respond to the challenge. Which reminds me, Bell, you need to get as much training as you can before the fight."

"Okay, I'll ask Ais if she can spar with me," replied Bell, before leaving in search of the Sword Princess.

Hestia grimaced at the idea of him spending so much time with Ais. She really had no choice about it. Bell needed to be in top form to win the match and keep his membership in her Familia. "Why does Freya want Bell?" asked Lili. "What's so important about him?"

"Come to think of it, didn't Bell mention he was getting close to Lv8? Maybe that's why. So she can get the first Lv8 adventurer under her thumb," said Welf.

Hestia realized that Freya must have found out about Bell's secret skill, Realis Phrase. She remembered hearing from the other goddesses recently that Freya had the ability to see into a person's soul without the usage of Arcanum. It was quite possible that this unique vision allowed her to peer into Bell's Falna and see what secrets lay within. "Well? What is it?" asked Lili. "Why is Freya so interested in Bell?"

"Bell... has a skill that lets him grow his Falna quickly," replied Hestia.

"Really? How did he get it?" asked Ryu.

"It was born from his strong feelings for Ais Wallenstein," said Hestia.

"W... What?" asked Lili, surprised to hear that.

"No matter what, I'll make Bell mine, I know it!" said Hestia.

"Oh no! I'm not losing to you!" said Lili.

"Hey, I'm not letting him get away either!" said Wiene.

"Did Bell have this skill even before Abel taught us how to make the magic croquettes?" asked Welf.

"Yeah," replied Hestia. "You can see why Freya wants him so much."

"What are you going to ask of Freya should you win?" asked Ryu.

"I was thinking of just taking her stuff and banishing her from Orario so they can't come at us again," replied Hestia.

"Why don't you use your War Game victory to force the Freya Familia to fight on the front lines?" asked Kaz. "We could use a powerful Familia like hers down there."

"I agree. I think that would be a wiser course of action. Ensuring everyone survives the war is much more important than the petty feuds of gods," said Ryu.

"I don't like this either, but they're right," said Lili.

"Oh fine!" replied Hestia.

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The big day came and Bell stood across from Ottar on the floor of the east Colosseum of Orario, used by the Ganesha Familia for Monsterphilia events. The bleachers were filled with gods, adventurers, and even civilians. The crowd cheered their favoured combatant. Bell could see his own Familia in the southern seats, as well as Rye, Maria, and the other orphans. The Survivors were there as well. At the west was the Loki Familia, seated with their goddess to witness this massive battle.

"This is the moment you've all been waiting for. Today is the War Game between the Freya and Hestia Familia. On my right is Argonaut, Bell Cranel of the Hestia Familia. Give him a round of applause!" said the announcer, which the people did. "On my left is the King, Ottar of the Freya Familia. Let's hear a round of applause!" A different group of people applauded.

The referee escorted the two to the centre to bump fists, then separated them into opposite sides. When the buzzer sounded, Bell hurled a Firebolt at Ottar. The boar-like, Boaz warrior quickly evaded, then slammed his sword against the ground. A fissure travelled along the surface, but Bell hopped over it, then charged in on the offence. Bell swung for the head, but Ottar parried. Bell then dropped down to aim at the ribs. Ottar parried and thrust his massive sword, only to have Bell hop away.

Bell came in with a strike to the shoulder. Ottar barely got the sword up in time to parry, then threw a frontal kick which knocked Bell away. As Bell landed, he fired a Firebolt at Ottar. The Boaz parried it with his sword, digging in to withstand the explosion. Bell ran in again and thrust for Ottar's heart. Ottar parried, then swung and nicked Bell across the cheek as he hopped back. Bell shot in and threw two slashes to the chest, but Ottar parried both.

Bell then turned into a roundhouse kick, nailing Ottar in the chin. Ottar got knocked down and Bell pounced, but Ottar rolled out of the way so that his foe only stabbed the ground. "Yeah!" cheered the crowd.

Ottar got up and charged at Bell. Bell tried to dodge, but got cut across his side by the thrust. Bell made his own thrust and cut Ottar across the cheek, despite him trying to tilt his head away. The two bloodied warriors backed off to reassess their tactics. Ottar moved first and charged in with a slash. Bell hopped out of the way, but Ottar suddenly returned his sword the other way, cutting a severe gash across Bell's chest. Just a split-second after, Bell had released a Firebolt, made white from being empowered by Argonaut.

Ottar got blasted clear across the Colosseum. The audience scrambled to escape before Ottar crashed into the wall, smashing it to pieces. Ottar was unmoving for several seconds, having been knocked out cold. "The winner of this match is Argonaut, Bell of the Hestia Familia!" said the announcer.

Medical personnel rushed down to tend to the two wounded warriors. They quickly applied healing potions to Bell's wounds. When the medicinal liquid touched his cuts, they stung, causing him to wince. Soon, they started to seal and he felt a soothing sensation radiating outward. On Ottar's side, one of the medics held up a pair of fingers. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Four," replied Ottar.

"Okay, we'd better take him to the infirmary," said the medic, who had concluded Ottar had a concussion. The medics quickly loaded him onto a stretcher and moved him off the Colosseum floor.

The War Game officials brought Hestia and Freya to the centre of the arena to address the crowd. Freya was in shock, still in disbelief that she had lost the War Game. "Okay Hestia, now that Bell has won the duel, what will you ask of the Freya Familia?" asked the announcer.

"I want the Freya Familia to fight against the Messians on the front lines, down in the Dungeon with the rest of us," replied Hestia. "Orario needs its strongest adventurers there."

"Okay, a deal is a deal," said Freya, surprised that Hestia made such a demand of her.

Freya expected that Hestia would have had her banished or forced her to forfeit riches as a penalty. She realized that it was likely the Babelites, particularly Abel, who had influenced her to make such an lenient demand. He was clearly pulling out all the stops to ensure victory over the Messians. He figured if the Freya Familia joined the Army of Orario in the Dungeon, their chances would be greater. She watched as Argonaut basked in the adoration of Orario's denizens.

This time, she got so close to Bell that she could taste it. There would be another chance, another War Game, other schemes, to claim Bell. It was not over yet. "You'll be mine one day, Bell, just you wait and see!" said Freya under her breath.

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That night Hestia performed an update on Bell. She remembered how Abel had mentioned offhandedly that either Bell, Ottar, or even both, could score a promotion from this fight. As she peered into Bell's Falna, she hoped he was correct. She noticed that Bell's level indicator was twitching. "Come on! Come on!" urged Hestia. Then, the indicator snapped to Lv8. "YEAH!"

 **Bell Cranel  
** Lv 7 - 8

Str: SS - I  
Vit: SS - I  
Dex: SS - I  
Agi: SSS - I  
Mgc: A - I

 **Skills  
** Realis Phrase  
Argonaut  
Giant Slayer  
Ambassador  
Mentorship  
Paragon (stats & defences +1 rank to party, party must have 1 other person than user)

 **Magic  
** Firebolt

 **Dev Abilities  
** Luck E  
Status Resist G  
Escape F  
Chain Attack G  
Healing Power G

Bell's new skill, Paragon, was an even stronger variant of his Ambassador skill. As one of Orario's major heroes, he was an icon to its people, an inspiration, and a leader. His reputation would make him become the cornerstone of any party he was in. His Paragon skill came into existence to represent this. Bell was the first Lv8 adventurer in the whole world, which only added to his prestige and renown.

"Awesome! You're Lv8! You're Lv8!" cheered Hestia.

"Bell's Lv8?" blurted out Lili after hearing Hestia from below.

"Did I just hear that right?" asked Welf.

"How does it feel to hold a new record?" asked Hestia of her Familia's captain.

"It feels kind of nice," replied Bell. "I'm getting stronger. If what the tablets told us about Yaldabaoth is true, we're fighting something even the gods couldn't stop completely. We have quite a battle ahead of us."

"You're not alone. We're behind you all the way. Even people outside our Familia are behind you, the Take Mikazuchi Familia, even Ais whatchamacallit too," said Hestia.

After Bell put on his shirt, he and Hestia met the others assembled at the table below. "Is it true?" asked Lili.

"Did Bell really get to Lv8?" asked Welf.

"Yes! Bell is now the first Lv8 in the whole world!" announced Hestia triumphantly.

"Oh wow dude! That's awesome!" said Welf.

"Yeah, congratulations!" said Kaz, both Familia members patting Bell on the back.

"Alright!" said Morgana.

"Bell, you're wonderful!" said Wiene, hugging the adventurer.

"Yeah, I knew you could do it," said Haruhime, smiling at her friend's fortune.

"This calls for a celebration. Let's make reservations at the Hostess of Fertility," said Hestia.

"Don't forget to report your promotion to the Guild," said Ryu. "You don't want Ottar to spoil the moment."

"Oh yeah, that's right! I'll do that right away. The Pantheon should still be open," said Bell, reaching for his jacket. "See ya in a bit."

Bell rushed over to the Pantheon with his Falna report as quickly as his legs could carry him. He was in luck, for the building was still open. Although business had slowed down for the night, Eina was still at the counter. He rushed up to her and handed her the report. When she examined the sheet, she did a double-take, then took him behind the counter to examine the Falna directly off of his back to make sure what she had seen was even real. When she realized that it was no joke, she was shocked.

"You're Lv8?" blurted out Eina.

The few people who remained at the Pantheon had heard her and crowded around to see what the commotion was. "Yeah," replied Bell modestly. "It must have been my duel with Ottar."

"You're the first person who has ever achieved this level of power. Congratulations!" said Eina. "You have grown so much since I first saw you."

"Thank you Eina, for being there along the way," said Bell.

The very next day, a bulletin went up on the notice boards of the Pantheon building. On it was Bell's picture, stating that he was the first adventurer to ever reach Lv8. He had achieved this feat via his victory over Ottar in the War Game duel between the Hestia and Freya Familia. Many people noticed the poster and crowded around to look at it, including some of the Loki Familia's mightiest women. They were in awe of how far the once Little Rookie had come, reaching a pinnacle others had yet to achieve.

Bell arrived at the Pantheon to check up on the news. When the Loki women realized he was present, they were in awe, as though a celebrity had stepped into the room. "Oh Argonaut!" said Tiona.

The Hiryute sisters crowded around Bell. "Fancy meeting you here!" said Tione.

"Uh hi ladies," said Bell meekly.

"Your battle with Ottar was just amazing!" said Tione, seemingly about to swoon.

"Thanks, I trained very hard to win. You guys helped me out, so I want to thank you for your help," said Bell.

"Oh! You're welcome!" said Ais, smiling receptively.

"That reminds me," said Bell. "What did Loki say about you joining our special team?"

"Although she was reluctant, Loki conceded after some goading from my Familia," replied Ais. "I will join the team once you set out."

"You will? Thanks! We really appreciate it," said Bell.

"You're welcome Bell," said Ais.

"I'll go home and tell everyone about this. I have a feeling they're going to set up a joint expedition to get everyone trained up for the mission," said Bell.

"Of course. I'm looking forward to it," said Ais.

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Hecate and the rest of her Familia had arrived in the desert region of Kaios. They had one goal in this desolate land, disrupt the Messians, buying as much time as possible for Orario to prepare. They had carved out a secret hideout under an abandoned inn purchased secretly through intermediaries. It overlooked a trade route leading to the Messian Kaios Temple City. An underground passage led from the basement to the mountains in the north, where Hecate raiders could congregate and prepare to attack trade caravans.

At the centre of the hollowed out basement was a large chamber lit by magic stone lamps. It had a ritual area with a pentagram on the ground where demons could be summoned. Hecate Familia mages worked the pentagram, calling a Shiki-Ouji into the world. A young man with blond hair dressed in leather armour approached Hecate and Medea, who oversaw the summoning. "Lady Hecate, we've spotted a supply caravan crossing the path to the north," said the underling, a man named Thomas.

Hecate looked over the map in Thomas' hand. His map depicted the trade route as winding south around a rocky formation which resembled a set of standing stones. The path turned back to the north and continued east towards Kaios Temple City. "Of course," said Hecate. "Begin preparations."

When the night came, the Hecate Familia concealed themselves in dark, navy blue costumes with wraps around their mouths. As they crossed the desert, a caravan started to move across the desert. They consisted of dozens of camels, all of which carried riders and supplies in burlap bags. Travelling with the caravan were a group of Messians in turbans riding on horseback. Some were armed with scimitars while others carried bows and staffs. Escorting them from above was a squad of angels.

Thomas waved to his Familia and demons to begin the attack. In the air, numerous rocs made a beeline for the angels. They spotted the gigantic birds approaching and immediately broke formation to intercept. The Hecate rocs started spewing wind blasts at the angels. Some of the angels were blown back, but others evaded and retaliated with blasts of holy magic. As the battle raged in the sky, Shiki-Ouji started to charge in from the ground.

The Messians started lobbing arrows which deflected off of the giant paper dolls fruitlessly. The Hecate Familia lobbed several arrows back, one missing a camel rider and hitting a camel on its flank. The camel fell, causing the caravan to come to a halt. Messian mages hurled fire at the Shiki-Ouji, setting them ablaze. The second Hecate attack wave, a group of spirits resembling flaming men, advanced on the caravan. The Messian mages hurled flames at the Inferno demons, but they simply absorbed the spells and kept advancing.

One of the Infernos reached the caravan and spewed flame, igniting a Messian escort's clothes and causing him to panic. An archer fired and embedded an arrow into the Inferno's torso, which did little harm and burnt to ash soon after. One of the Shiki-Ouji reached a Messian who dismounted to confront it. He tried to slash the demon, but found his sword deflecting off its body. The Shiki-Ouji backhanded the Messian, then punched out his horse. In the sky, the rocs froze three angels with icy breath, causing them to tumble down to the ground and shatter.

When the caravan's defences were pacified, the raiders converged on the caravan. "Take everything!" said Thomas.

The Hecate Familia's supporters started grabbing everything they could and stuffing them into their backpacks. "All clear! We've got everything!" cried a female supporter.

"Okay, time to retreat. Head to the rendezvous point," said Thomas.

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The Hestia Familia and Survivors returned to Cybertronic Computer Systems and travelled to the building's basement. This area contained the structure's practical functions such as the boiler room and circuit breaker. In one large storage room, the walls started to fade into a black void filled with strange green alphanumeric characters. A clear tunnel extended through the void, resembling a gigantic, transparent computer connection cable.

The tunnel-like cable, known as the Input Port, dipped down and followed a coil-like path, leading into a strange new city. It was a modern 21st century city, but its skyline didn't match that of any known earthly city. It was also in surprisingly good condition for one supposedly from the Old World, with no ruined buildings, no smashed vehicles, and no debris. Yet, it was still as abandoned and vacant as the other floors. It seemed as though the inhabitants had decided to abandon their city one day.

The sky and objects had a slightly green tint to it from the light-casting crystals on the floor's roof. Suddenly, the sky pixelated, like a glitch distorting the graphics of a video game. "What was that?" asked Wiene.

"It's a trait of this floor. It emulates the world in a computer called Cyberspace," replied Morgana. "What we just saw was a glitch in the system."

A group of emotionless, yet intimidating men in black suits converged on the expedition. These ashen-skinned Men In Black all wore sunglasses and wired earpieces, like faceless government agents. One of these Men In Black, or MIB, pressed his earpiece, listening to orders from afar. They then charged at the expedition. One closed and punched Atsuro in the jaw. The MIB tried to follow with a kick, but Atsuro caught his leg, and swept the other. Another two rushed him, but Atsuro evaded their punches, then sent them flying back with some of his own.

Another three rushed Bell, hurling punches and kicks which he avoided. Bell backed away, causing a roundhouse to miss, then caught the MIB in the jaw with one of his own. The second punched Bell to the ground, but Bell bounced back quickly. Bell weaved past another punch, then stabbed the MIB in the heart. As that MIB collapsed, the third charged in with a flurry of punches. Bell tried to evade them, but got uppercut in the chin. He flipped with the momentum into a handstand, then pushed off onto his feet.

Lili fired arrows at another MIB, but he leaned around her shots, leaving afterimages with the speed of his movements. She charged a Firebolt arrow and fired, but it evaded the arrow like before. She tried the same attack, sending the arrow to the ground in front of the MIB. He tried to escape, but the arrow exploded too soon and hurled him to the ground. Nearby, Kaz fired an ice beam, but his target leaned around his attack. He then froze an ice patch beneath the MIB's feet. The MIB struggled to stay standing, but ultimately slipped and fell.

Kaz lashed out with a Drain spell, absorbing the MIB's energy until he crumbled to ash. "These guys are too fast!" said Lili. "They avoided all of my shots until I blew up an arrow in front of them."

"Yeah, they'll dodge any projectiles or beams you fire at them. They can't avoid close range attacks, or ones affecting an area, like explosions," said Morgana.

"Okay, I'll keep that in mind," said Lili.

After Wiene blasted the last MIB from above, the group boarded Yog. "There are a lot of angels in the northern part of Cyberspace. There's a tablet there too," said Morgana.

"Okay, let's sneak over there," said Midori.

Scarlet shifted Yog out of phase with the world, concealing its presence from the naked eye. Yog travelled north, where the group spotted a structure similar to the cable-like entrance to Cyberspace. It was known as the Output Port and had a tablet nearby. Numerous angels flew patrols above the area. Others were on the ground, watching for a ground-based attack. Yog released the group a distance away, within an underground parking lot.

While the Hestia Familia closed with the tablet, Yog summoned the airborne angels next to him. The sudden change in locale disoriented them, allowing him to expel orbs in all directions to smash them. Scarlet appeared behind a dominion and seared a hole fatally through him. Tulzcha sank into the ground, then burst out beneath a power, incinerating it in verdigris flame. The second nearby power got stunned and got incinerated by Tulzcha's green fireball. Viola impaled a virtue with her swords, then pulled them out and sliced up the angel.

The Survivors ran outside and saw the Hestia Familia gathered at the tablet, having eliminated the angel patrols. As they examined the tablet, it granted them a vision of the past. The gods had gathered around the Shard of Divinity after having reverted YHVH back into it. They had created the Shrine of the Demiurge around the Shard and sent it deep into the ground, dragging the remains of the devastated Old World with it. Mountains, trees, and plains paved over what remained of the previous world.

For their next feat, the gods created a pair of races. The first was the Spirits, creatures which represented the various elements, such as earth and fire. They included gnomes, salamanders, and sylphs. Ouranos approached the newly created race. "Spirits, you must watch over the mortal world for us," commanded Ouranos. "We gods are fatigued from a great battle. We need to return to Heaven to rest."

"Aye, Lord Ouranos," replied a gnome, representing the spirits.

"We gods don't know how long it will take before we can return from Heaven. You must take care of the world in our absence. Go now, and tend to the world, and the mortals who will one day inhabit it," said Ouranos.

After the Spirits departed, the gods teleported into the heart of the Dungeon, where they created a second new race. Unlike the Spirits, who were created from the elements, this new race emerged from the walls of the newly created Dungeon. They resembled the monsters that adventurers normally hunted. "What is your wish, Lord Ouranos?" asked the leader of the monsters, Tannin, a massive black dragon.

"Sealed in this Shrine of the Demiurge is the worst enemy we gods have ever faced," announced Ouranos. "See to it that he does not get loose again."

"Aye, Lord Ouranos," replied Tannin.

"Thank you," said Ouranos. "We gods must now rest. It may be years before we can see each other again. Please stay safe, and perform you duties with utmost diligence."

"Aye," replied Tannin.

The gods vanished, having returned to Heaven. Countless years had passed before several bolts of lightning descended from the sky. From each bolt emerged a small band of each race found in the mortal world. The humans emerged from a lightning bolt which struck a plain. The elves emerged from a lighting bolt which struck a tree inside a forest. The dwarves emerged from a third which struck a stone in front of a cave. Every race appeared around the world and life had begun anew. Inside the Dungeon, a tablet appeared near Ray's Deli and other familiar locations.

The vision ended and returned the expedition back to reality. "After sealing Yaldabaoth, the gods had won, but the cost was severe. They had lost the previous world, so they created a new one on top of the old. They created the Spirits to watch over the surface world and the Xenos to be Yaldabaoth's jailors. They created new mortal races and these tablets as a warning before entering their slumber of recovery."

"So, we were meant to guard Yaldabaoth?" asked Wiene.

"Looks like it," replied Bell. "So that means the Xenos were how monsters used to be, but what caused them to lose their minds and become monsters?"

"Maybe Yaldabaoth?" asked Midori. "It sounds like something he'd do."

"It probably was," replied Abel.

"So, the monsters are victims too?" asked Lili.

"I can detect many more angels on the next floor. It's the second last floor before the Shrine of the Demiurge. We'll need Orario's army to get past this one," said Morgana.

"The army won't be ready so soon. They'll need more time," said Atsuro.

"Yeah, we'll only have enough time for one more training expedition before we start the battle down here," said Abel. "Let's return and get it set up."

 **END OF CHAPTER**


	32. Rev 05 - Sea Shrine

Disclaimer:  
DanMachi was created by Fujino Omori. Shin Megami Tensei was created by Atlus. This story uses reference material from them.

 **Demons of the Dungeon  
** **By: RB3  
** **Revelations 5: Sea Shrine**

At the hideout, the Hecate Familia members started counting the loot seized during their last raid on a caravan bound for Kaios Temple City. They had acquired an assortment of items such as barley, Valis, weapons, and ore. Hecate herself was with Medea in the pentagram room, watching her Familia summon a Shiki-Ouji into being. "We're going into the city next, so we need more demons resistant to holy power, ones that aren't angels," said Hecate.

"That's a tough call. There aren't many demons that fit that description... Oh, we can summon Frost Aces!" said Medea.

"Yeah! They can fly, are immune to holy attacks. They're perfect!" said Hecate.

"To get them, we need to summon Jack Frosts, then upgrade them with ice vests," said Medea.

"Good," said Hecate. "Now, if we could get demons who use dark attacks and also have holy resistance, we'd have it made."

"Pales fits, but he's beyond what we can control," said Medea. "There aren't really any other candidates."

"Oh well, Frost Aces will do. The angels will have a hard time defeating them," said Hecate.

The Hecate Familia set to work, sewing scraps of fabric together to form the vests. They resembled the visor of a knight's helmet more than an actual vest, but were crucial to creating Frost Aces. Other members started chanting for the summoning rituals, calling in small snowmen wearing a blue jester's cap and collar. "Hee ho! Transform!" stated the Jack Frosts in unison upon donning the vests.

The mascot-like Jack Frost demons turned into superheroes dressed in black spandex with a white letter "A" which trailed to their boots. They also wore white gloves and helmets which matched their vests. They were Frost Aces. After several days of preparation, the Hecate Familia raiders approached the Kaios Temple City. With binoculars, Thomas watched from a distance as Messian guards patrolled the parapets and guard towers.

The Messians spotted a great flame speeding towards the city. It was no flame, but a squadron of phoenixes preparing to attack. The angels moved to intercept, but the phoenixes had already spit fireballs at the city. Buildings were struck and caught on fire. The angels started hurling various holy attacks upon the phoenixes, who were unfazed despite getting hit. "The Babelites have started their attack. That's our cue!" said Thomas.

The Hecate Familia sent the Frost Aces, who soared into the fray. As they approached, they sprayed ice upon the angels, freezing several out of the air. One of them flew into a Power at full speed, with both fists outstretched. The Power got hurled to the ground, smashing through a grocery store and knocking up a cloud of dust. A second Frost Ace evaded another Power's spear, then zoomed in and connected a punch. He sent ice after the angel as he hurtled down, freezing it within a boulder on the ground.

The Hecate Familia's Shiki-Ouji advanced on the walls, taking numerous arrows from Messian guards, yet no harm. Once at the wall, the paper demons started pounding it. Bricks got pulverized with each mighty blow, sending tremors along the wall. Messian mages ran in from further along the wall and sent fireballs at the giant demons. One of the Shiki-Ouji got ignited instantly and collapsed, followed by another. A Frost Ace swooped down and knocked the mage off of the wall.

"Hee ho!" cheered the Frost Ace. The mages lobbed fireballs at the Frost Ace, only to have them reflect back. The mages got their robes ignited and flailed about in terror. "Those won't hurt hee-ho!" The Frost Ace followed the wall and punched off another guard.

As the Shiki-Ouji continued to pound the wall, cracks started to form, then widened with each mighty blow. The wall buckled and the Hecate Familia stormed in. At the other end of the city, a Girimehkala in elephant form charged top speed at the weakly defended east wall. Archers along the wall tried to shoot it, but found their shots getting bounced back and their own ranks felled as a result. A mage ran in to assist, only to have a pair of gunshots puncture his chest.

Girimehkala smashed through the wall and entered the city. He accelerated to top speed as he made a beeline for the Great Cathedral of Kaios. Messian soldiers barred his way and fired arrows and spells, but nothing could stop him. He trampled them underfoot like ants, leaving bloody stains on the ground. The wiser Messians scattered to get out of his way. Girimehkala continued to the cathedral and smashed through its own wall with a deafening boom, sending pulverized brick flying inside. He continued charging and smashed through to the other side.

He circled around to the north, then built up speed and smashed through the cathedral again. The pulverized brick burst into the building, covering the altar and a nearby organ. Girimehkala trampled the altar, then smashed through the support columns of the building. After he burst through the front doors, the building collapsed under its own weight. Not content with such destruction, he continued towards a nearby bank and levelled the building in the wake of his massive girth.

The Babelite allies flooded into the city. Messians fired arrows into the Babelite horde, only to receive several bullets in return. Two of the Messians fell. A fireball descended upon the Messians, exploding and hurling them everywhere. At the other side of the city, the Shiki-Ouji had entered a marketplace. Messians ran in to engage with blades, but found their weapons blunted by their foes' physical immunity. They were promptly swatted away like bugs.

Medea followed with Thomas and a horde of Spartoi after the first wave entered the city. She saw a group of assorted angels engaged with the Shiki-Ouji. She sicced her Spartoi upon the angels. One of the Powers met the Spartoi and exchanged blows. A Virtue stayed in the back and hurled ball lightning upon them. Several fell to this attack, rupturing in a shower of bone fragments. Medea cast a Dark Bolt spell upon the Virtue, felling it with one shot.

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The next joint training and expedition with the Loki was about a week away. The Hestia Familia went to the Pantheon to update their status with the Guild after exploring F77, Cybertronic Computer Systems, and F78, Cyberspace. Numerous people had gathered around a bulletin board in the front. A poster of Ottar was pinned to it. It announced his promotion to Lv8, making him the second Lv8 adventurer in the whole world. His performance in the duel was cited as the cause of his rise in rank.

"Wow, Ottar got to Lv8 too!" said Bell.

"Says here it was your duel with him that pushed him a level," said Lili.

"Ottar was severely wounded from that fight. I heard he was bedridden for a few days. He couldn't make his update while in that condition," said Kaz.

"Plus, you won that duel. You deserve every bit of the credit," said Welf.

"Thanks guys," said Bell.

The Hestia Familia handed their Falna sheets to Eina. "Oh, Kaz and Morgana are maxed out. They'll need to get to Lv8 to keep growing," said Eina.

"We've got an expedition coming up. That might do it," said Morgana.

The Hestia Familia returned to the Hestia Hall. "This just came in. Fushimi said they and the Hecate Familia had razed the Kaios Grand Cathedral. With it gone, the Heralds will have trouble bringing down the barriers on Yaldabaoth. We bought some time, but we're not out of the woods yet," said Kaz.

"Things are going well on Orario's end. The Army of Orario is training and organizing for the raid into the Ruins of the Old World," said Hestia.

"Things are heating up," said Welf.

"Oh yeah," said Kaz.

After the week passed, the Hestia and Loki Familia gathered in the colosseum Domain of the Babelite base. As in the past, Ais paired off with Bell to spar with wooden weapons. Ais closed with a slash to the head, which Bell parried. Ais threw a flurry of slashes, all aimed for his body, but Bell parried these too. He struck at Ais' stomach, surprising her with the speed of his retaliation. Yet, she managed to sidestep it. She aimed a thrust at his stomach, but he got his weapon in place to parry.

As Bell pushed the sword away, she turned with the momentum to roundhouse Bell in the jaw. Despite a full contact hit, the kick only turned his head aside and staggered him momentarily. He was a surprisingly hard target, like she had kicked a rock. Pain surged through Ais' heel, causing her stumble and fall into a sitting position. "Ais, are you okay?" asked Bell, lending her a hand to get up.

"Ow! Yeah, I'll be okay, said Ais.

Bell realized that he was holding hands with Ais and recoiled in shock. "GAAH!" he screamed, before running away.

"Why does he always do that?" Ais asked, puzzled by this event.

Bell fled the training area, not looking carefully at where he was going. He crashed into Scarlet, right into the breasts of the naked succubus. He fell flat on his back, stunned and dazed. "Ooh! I never knew you were into me that way. I'm flattered, but I'm already spoken for," said Scarlet.

"There you are Bell. Are you okay?" asked Ais, cradling Bell in her lap.

When he recovered, Bell was shocked to discover where he was. "GAAAAH!" screamed Bell, who tried to get up, but the pain of crashing into things put him back down.

"Don't worry. You're safe. I'm here," said Ais. "Bell, why do you always run from me? Am I doing something to scare you?"

"No, it's not that, I just..." said Bell.

"...Really like you Ais," said Scarlet, completing Bell's sentence for him with a smirk. "I'm too shy to admit it, but I really do. I want to be with you. I want you to be my girlfriend."

Bell gasped at what Scarlet had said, voicing everything he was thinking. "What?" asked Ais in surprise.

Scarlet smiled. "Oh, don't mind me! I'll leave you two lovebirds alone. Ta-ta!" she said, before hovering past a door.

"She's quite a... lively one, isn't she?" asked Ais.

"Yeah," replied Bell.

Scarlet popped her head back into the hallway. "Take her somewhere special!" she told them, before popping back out.

"You know, that isn't a bad idea. How about the wall we do our training at?" asked Ais.

"No, I mean yes, I mean..." said Bell.

"We'll go after the expedition," said Ais.

Back at the training area, Bete faced off against Atsuro in the centre of a blue mat. The two wore the standard training uniform of those practicing karate. When the referee called the match, the two sized each other up. Bete opened the battle by throwing two punches. Atsuro blocked them, then threw a hook in retaliation. Bete blocked, then launched a left kick to the side. Atsuro got hit and staggered momentarily.

Bete charged in with two hooks. Atsuro got hit by the first, but weaved past the second and snatched Bete's arm into a throw. The buzzer sounded, ending the round. Both of them were drenched in sweat from such hard sparring. "Phew, that was quite a workout!" said Bete.

"Yeah," remarked Atsuro, lending Bete a hand to get up.

At the colosseum, the Loki Familia's senior officers, Finn, Gareth, and Riveria, stood face to face with Atsuro's demonic companion, the eight-headed serpent, Orochi. Viola stood in the bleachers as a timekeeper. "Floor Boss of Sky Palace is dragon," said one of Orochi's heads.

"Many heads, like me," said the second of Orochi's heads.

"Fight me! Learn to fight him!" said the third of Orochi heads.

"Get ready!" said Orochi's fourth head.

Orochi breathed fire, ice, and poison at the group. The trio scattered and evaded all attacks of the serpent. Orochi lunged at them with head butts. Finn evaded both of the heads targeting him, then jabbed the second head with his wooden spear. Orochi reared back in pain. Riveria chanted the words to a Wynn Fimbulvetr when three of Orochi's heads went straight for her. She continued the chant while concurrently hopping away from the head butt attempts.

When she released the spell, Orochi got frozen in ice. A second later, he shattered the crystalline shell. "That no work on me!" said the first head of Orochi.

"Ice cool off body," said the second head of Orochi.

"You only have three heads? You weak!" Orochi's third head taunted the Loki senior officers.

Orochi breathed fire, ice, poison, and wind at the Loki senior officers. The three scattered to evade. One of Orochi's heads tracked Finn, then exhaled wind at him. Finn got caught blown into the ground, getting dirt all over his clothes. A different head sprayed ice all over Riveria, blowing her to the floor and burying her under snow. Gareth sidestepped the breath attacks and closed with Orochi's body. He landed a good swing to the underbelly, staggering the eight-headed snake.

"Time!" said Viola. "Good work."

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After passing through the portal into Order City, the Survivors flew the expedition across the ocean to the city of Mermaid Shore on the northwest continent of the Last Reverie. Mermaid Shore was a seaside town and dominated by its inn. The inn was like a large luxurious mansion with a fountain in the square before its front door. A moat surrounded the land of the inn and was fed by a river which originated from the eastern ocean.

The Loki Familia occupied the town and converted the inn into a headquarters with the guest rooms as living quarters. The inn's dining room had maps pinned to bulletin boards and served as the strategy and meeting room. For an infirmary, the Loki converted a medical clinic to the northeast of their inn. With the facilities prepared, the Survivors gave a briefing on the geography and monsters of the Mermaid Shore's landmass at the inn.

According to the briefing, a caldera in the northern mountains fed rapids to its east, then turned south to a waterfall. This waterfall had a small cave behind it filled with Lv7 monsters, so it must be avoided by lower level Familia members. This waterfall also fed a basin, the source of a river which flowed south through valleys, past Mermaid Shore and forests. It turned to the west through a valley into a marsh. There was a desert north of the marsh past some forests.

Instead, the Loki Familia's lower levels would hunt monsters in the forests flanking the river to the south and west of Mermaid Shore. The monsters there were Lv5, not too difficult for the Loki Familia's Lv4 to Lv5 adventurers. The real prize was the Sea Shrine, the target of Loki's elites and the Hestia Familia. This mini dungeon was located beneath the eastern waters and contained Lv7 monsters, as well as many treasures. The group found a submarine in the dock of the city and used it to travel to the Sea Shrine.

True to its name, the Sea Shrine was a Greco-Roman temple which stood at the bottom of the ocean. The structure was five storeys high from the ocean floor. The central floor of the Sea Shrine had a wing which extended outward and opened down into the water. Lili docked the sub by the edge of the floor, where everyone climbed out. It was somewhat dark in the shrine, as this floor was deep beneath the ocean, far from the sun.

Despite being made of marble, the Sea Shrine still had a blue tint from what little light filtered in through the water. Although water surrounded the shrine, none of it could ever actually enter it. Kaz could detect a magical aura coming from the structure's marble walls and floors. It was the force which kept the water out. Morgana reached out with Zorro's senses to get a lay of the land. He saw a rough floor plan of each floor of the shrine in his mind.

"This is the third floor of the shrine. The Floor Boss is at the bottom, on the first floor, but I'm sure we want the treasure," said Morgana.

"We'll take everything we can carry," replied Finn.

"Then we should go up first, and clean the place out from top to bottom," said Morgana. "At the end, we'll fight the Floor Boss."

"Okay, that's a plan," said Gareth.

The expedition travelled north, down a hall lined with columns which almost seemed to herald their arrival. They took a brief eastern detour to collect treasure, before finding the stairs up at the northeast area of the third floor. On the fourth floor, they travelled to the northwest, then down to the south and east, collecting treasures along the way in various storage rooms. They eventually found the stairs up in the southeast corner of the fourth floor.

The Sea Shrine's fifth floor had fifteen rooms arranged in a four by four array. The stairs to return were where the sixteenth room should have been, on the bottom row, two columns into the row. The expedition's supporters raided the nearby room to the north of the stairs for treasure. The way to the east of the stairs was blocked by a large fissure in the shrine. Due to the damage, it allowed water to flow into the shrine, held up within the crack by the magic marble.

Lefiya looked through the wall of water, trying to see the other side. "We can go around," said Morgana.

"No need," replied Kaz.

He magically parted a hole through the water, then froze the bottom to form a bridge across the fissure. They travelled from room to room to find treasure, which their supporters bagged for safe keeping. They found another fissure which cut off the northeasternmost room. Once again, Kaz hollowed out the water and created an icy path across. After claiming all treasure, they made their way back towards the stairs.

At the southeast part of the floor, nearly three dozen mermaids spawned from the ground and the surrounding walls. All were armed with tridents. "Look alive!" cried Gareth. The mermaids aimed their tridents at the group and jetted streams of water. Kaz drew the water blasts to his hands and absorbed them.

Haruhime shot one of the mermaids with a dark bolt from Drahcir Toirag's staff. Lili fired arrows which struck a second in the forehead and a third through the heart. The two sides closed with Bell hopping around a trident coming in to impale him. Bell darted forward and made three slashes as he passed by. The mermaid collapsed from wounds to her ribs and disintegrated. Another tried to stab Finn, but he knocked the trident away with his spear. With a thrust, he felled the mermaid.

Riveria released a powerful Rea Laevateinn, incinerating the rest of the mermaids. The supporters collected the magic stones and the expedition continued on their way back down. They reached the third floor and travelled west. After a brief southern detour to collect treasure, they moved to the very northwest of the floor. They descended to the second floor and noticed that severe damage had allowed water to separate the southern and eastern hallways from a block in the northwestern section.

Kaz parted water to create a tunnel to a room in the southeasternmost area of that block, where the supporters claimed more treasure. The travelled clockwise in a square path to gather more treasure, then reached the north strip and took the stairs down. "Here we are, the floor with the boss on it," said Morgana.

"So, who's the big boss we have to fight now?" asked Welf.

"The Sea Witch," replied Finn.

The group entered a very large room which dominated the west side of the floor. Once they passed through the door, several puddles of water started to rise from the ground and formed blob-like masses with tendrils. They had magic stones lodged in what would be considered their chest. "Water Elementals... Stay on guard!" said Morgana.

Kaz blasted the entire group of fifty elementals with a raging blizzard. Despite the elementals trying to fight through it, their bodies crackled into helpless solidity. "Take advantage while you can. That won't hold them for long!" said Kaz.

As the mages chanted spells, the melee fighters ran in and started to hack apart as many elementals as they could. Tiona swung Urga in a wide arc, chopping down five frozen elementals in a single swing. Tione darted from monster to monster, delivering a fatal slash or stab to each of three. Bete smashed another with a flying kick. He then did a roundhouse kick, catching another three in his arc of attack.

"Fall back! The spell is coming!" cried Gareth.

By now, many of the Water Elementals had broken free of Kaz's ice. Bete hopped over a watery tendril swung at his legs. He leapt again, gaining distance from his attacker. At that moment, Lefiya let loose a Fusillade Fallarica. Streams of fire erupted from magic sigils and rained upon the elementals. Explosion ripped through the enemy group, smashing them to pieces. All that remained were their magic stones, which the supporters collected.

"That was pretty easy," remarked Tione.

"They were sitting ducks," said Bete. "Hardly a challenge to beat up punching bags."

"We're going to tackle the Sea Witch soon. If you want a challenge, you'll get it," said Gareth.

The expedition entered the final room of the Sea Shrine. Like the others, it had an altar with an orb on it. This orb was filled with water, the element represented by the Sea Shrine. In front of the orb altar was an even larger blue orb. It sensed the approach of the expedition and cracked open, which caused water to gush out of it. A creature bearing a golden trident emerged from the broken orb. It had octopus tentacles for legs and the torso of a topless, black-haired Caucasian woman.

"So that's the Sea Witch," said Ais.

"Here she comes!" said Lili.

The Sea Witch pointed her trident at the group and a torrent of water erupted from the tip. Kaz dove in front of it and took the spray, absorbing all of the water into himself. Haruhime's Ill Wyverns hovered over the Sea Witch and sprayed fire down upon her. The Sea Witch moved aside, then sent water blasts in return. The Ill Wyvern got knocked out of the sky. Wiene fired Garnet Blasts at the Sea Witch, who parried with her trident, then fired water in retaliation. Wiene banked away just in time to avoid being hit.

Kaz projected a beam of ice. The Sea Witch formed a bubble which took the hit and got frozen. She shattered the ice, emerging unharmed. She then arced lightning at him, which he blunted by forming ice around his arms and blocking. Lili fired several arrows, which the Sea Witch batted away with the trident. Lili then shot a Firebolt arrow at her. The Sea Witch created a water bubble, having it trap the arrow and capture the ensuing explosion.

The Sea Witch cast a tidal wave upon the group. It covered the entire width of the room and washed them to the rear. Kaz jumped in front of Riveria, absorbing the water, and preventing Riveria's chant from being disrupted. Nearby, Tiona and Tione got off the ground, angry about being thrown back so rudely. Tione pounced in and got her knives blocked by a water barrier. Tiona tried to chop the Sea Witch, but the Sea Witch parried. She pushed them back with another tidal wave.

Finn tried to sneak in from the blindside, but the Sea Witch felt his presence and evaded his thrust. She thrust back in retaliation, but he sidestepped. He swung diagonally down and nicked the Floor Boss. She tried to shoot him with water, but Finn sidestepped it. Suddenly, she lashed out with a tentacle and caught Finn. She started squeezing tightly. "Get him free!" cried Gareth.

He ran in and the Sea Witch tried to snatch him as well. Her tentacle met his axe and got severed with one mighty blow. With another swing, Gareth severed a second tentacle. Ais came in and severed the one holding Finn, causing him to land on his feet. Ais grabbed Finn and pulled him away from danger. The Sea Witch arced lightning in attempt to stop them, but Welf jumped in and grounded the spell. She turned up the power, but Welf kept advancing while grounding the magic.

He came dangerously close, forcing her to cut off the lightning. She tried to evade as Welf slashed her, too late to avoid having a large gash cut into her chest. Welf followed up with a chop, but the Sea Witch put up a water barrier to block it. The barrier reacted to the attack by expelling water, pushing Welf to the ground, away from her. Bete tried to jump kick her from above, but got stopped by the barrier. The barrier blasted him away too, just as it did with Welf. Bete quickly flipped upright and landed on his feet.

Ais tried to sneak in and cut through the barrier. It blocked her attack, then retaliated by jetting water back at her. She got sent a distance away, but managed to right herself and land on her feet. "We have to get rid of that barrier," said Ais.

"Let me get a shot at her again. I'll strip that water from her," said Kaz.

"I'll help too," said Morgana.

"Okay, I'll move once you get it down," said Ais.

Morgana sent a green tornado blustering forward. It struck the water barrier and stopped, but Morgana kept it grinding against the water to try to power through. Kaz made clawing gestures as he used his magic to force the water to flow towards him, aided by the tornado's suction force. The water peeled off gradually, revealing a hole. Kaz sent a Succubus Kiss in through the opening. With a kiss, the succubus silhouette weakened the Sea Witch. Kaz immediately felt the lessening of her resistance and the water barrier peeled off completely.

The tornado busted through and scooped her into the air. Once it released her, Ais charged in and impaled her. "Fall back!" cried Finn.

Ais fled as commanded. Riveria had completed the chant for a Rea Laevateinn spell. Pillar-like spirals of flame erupted from the ground, lighting the room a fiery red and orange. Without the barrier, the Sea Witch was exposed and got blown to smouldering ash. When the flames died down, Lili collected the magic stone. "Good work," said Bell.

 **END OF CHAPTER**


	33. Rev 06 - Sky Palace

Disclaimer:  
DanMachi was created by Fujino Omori. Shin Megami Tensei was created by Atlus. This story uses reference material from them.

 **Demons of the Dungeon  
** **By: RB3  
** **Revelations 6: Sky Palace**

After depositing their loot at Mermaid Shore, the Hestia and Loki expedition took a day to rest. When night came, they gathered around a table at the inn for a meal. They had a feast with a large turkey serving as the main course. It came with mashed potatoes and was complemented by vegetables. Bell carved the turkey and handed a slice to each member. "Thank you Argonaut!" said Tione upon receiving her slice.

"Mmm, this is the first time I've ever had turkey on one of these runs," said Gareth. "It's really convenient to have a portal down here."

"I'll say. Pass some cranberry sauce here," requested Finn. Welf handed him a bowl of red sauce. "Thanks."

Nearby, Raul talked with Bell and Welf of the Hestia Familia. "That last combination was beautiful," said Raul.

"Yeah, that was one hell of a spell! What a way to end the fight!" said Welf.

"You had to see it to believe it," said Tione to a random Loki member.

The festivities went on for the rest of the night. The next day, the expedition boarded Yog for a new raid into a mini dungeon. Their next target was the lone tower which stood in the middle of a vast desert on the northeastern continent. The tower resembled a funnel which twisted and tapered to a point in the sky. It was originally the creation of a people called the Sky Warriors, but they have long since vanished. They were a people who had great technology and had built this tower to connect to their floating castle in the sky.

"This is your stop. Good luck," said Yuzu.

"Thank you," said Riveria.

Yog flew the Survivors away, leaving the expedition to enter the tower. Its interior was brown from the sandstone which made up the tower. It was also much darker than the outer world, lit only by magic stone lamps. F1 of the tower consisted of concentric hallways with the entrance to the second ring just north of the stairs through an opening in the wall. The group entered a second hole just ahead to reach the centre, where they found a small treasury and collected everything they came across.

Once the valuables were secured, they made their way to the front stairs, where they found another doorway leading to a second pair of stairs which went up. On the second floor, they travelled to the north to find a way into the inner second ring, then went south to reach the central room. This room contained another treasury with ten chests, with each Familia claiming half. After backtracking to the inner second ring, they found the stairs up.

The third floor was very small compared to the previous two, as they were close to the tower's pinnacle. It only had a single room at the centre with a ring-like hall surrounding it. When the expedition entered the door on the south, they found a single electronic pad at the opposite side. "That's a transporter device. We can use it to get to the Sky Palace," said Morgana.

Before they could use the device, a group of blue dragons started to spawn from the walls of the tower. "We've got company!" said Welf, drawing his weapon.

One of the blue dragons exhaled electricity upon the group. Welf raised his weapon, grounding the spell harmlessly. He ran in and slashed the dragon across the face. Despite getting a large gash, the dragon clawed back in retaliation. Welf sliced through its arm, severing its claw. The dragon roared in agony, then Welf ran by, making a cut along the side. Blood spurted out, but the dragon had not yet fallen. Welf hopped onto the dragon's back and then impaled it through the back. The dragon collapsed, followed by its body disintegrating.

Wiene hovered over the other dragons and started raining Garnet Blasts upon them. The ground was roiled by constant explosions. The dragons were stunned, pinned down by explosions going offer randomly around them. One of them dug in and expelled lightning into the air, which Wiene evaded. Another fired at her, grazing her wing and forcing an abrupt landing on her. Before the dragon could fire again, Ryu zipped across its neck and sliced its head off. She zipped to another and slashed its body twice. She then unleashed a Luminous Wind and blew it to pieces.

Bete jump kicked a dragon to the ground, then pummelled it with a flurry of stomps. After it disintegrated, only its magic stone remained. "Spell incoming!" cried Finn.

Lefiya unleashed a Fusillade Fallarica upon the blue dragons. Explosions tore through their ranks, reducing them all to ash. After the supporters gathered the magic stones, the party stepped on the transport device. They were whisked away into a palace which hovered far above the ground. This technological marvel was more like a space station than a palace. The walls were drab and grey metal. It had circuits of green light running through the ground and walls, keeping it powered with magic and afloat.

The first floor of the Sky Palace had the shape of a cross. The centre was the room where the expedition had appeared after coming in from the Sky Tower. The expedition started in the east and swept the floor in a clockwise pattern, gathering treasures from rooms at the end of each direction. In the north, they found a staircase up to the next floor. This brought them to the second floor, on the north side of a floor very similar in design to the first with one exception.

The second floor included diagonals in its layout, making it more like a spoked wheel in shape, rather than a cross. Starting from the north, they travelled clockwise, looting treasuries everywhere saving the south for last. This direction was where they had found the stairs up to the next floor. The third floor also had a roughly cross-shaped layout like the first floor. The stairs from the previous floor brought them next to a large viewing screen built into the ground.

From the screen, they could see streams of energy flowing from each of the lairs of the other elemental Floor Bosses. The first came from the Bonelord's subterranean cave, casting an earthy brown stream from the southwest. The second came from the Matron Lamia's volcano, sending its fiery red light from the southeast. The third was the Sea Witch's Sea Shrine, which cast a watery blue light from the northwest. All three streams converged on the Chaos Temple at the centre of the world, to the north of Order City.

The only one missing was the wind's stream, which would originate from the Sky Tower and Sky Palace once it was cleared. "How high are we off the ground?" asked Bell, looking at the screen.

"That's a long way down," remarked Ais, seeing how the objects below looked even smaller than ants.

"We're about to down the last Floor Boss in the set of four. What's going to happen once we've defeated all of them?" asked Raul.

"The lair of a fifth Floor Boss, Anarchy, will be opened," replied Kaz.

"There's a fifth Floor Boss?" asked Lefiya.

"Yes, according to the tablet in the Chaos Shrine," replied Kaz. "Abel's group is going to raid Anarchy's lair for more Floor Boss magic stones."

"We're leaving that to them. We've done more than our fair share. The next Floor Boss will be the third we've done on F68," said Finn.

The group travelled clockwise from east to west, following Morgana's directions. Each direction had more treasuries to loot, except for the south. This direction only had monitors and control panels which regulated the functioning of the Sky Palace. At the west, they found a fork in the road. They took the north one, which led to a small treasury where they claimed some valuable items. After backtracking to the fork, they took the other path and found the stairs up.

On the fourth floor, they found several viewing screens on the floor fenced off by clear walls. They were arranged in several rows and columns which went on to infinity. When Bell looked down the eastern row, he saw Riveria's back in the far distance. "I can see your back all the way from here, Riveria," said Bell.

Riveria looked down the hall, then raised her staff, which caused her image in the distance to mirror the action. "This is strange..." she remarked.

"This place is a maze. Each hallway loops back to its beginning," said Morgana.

"Oh, I see, that's why I can wave to myself!" said Wiene, doing so, which caused her image ahead to mirror her movements.

"Where is the way down?" asked Welf.

"Two intersections east and another two south," replied Morgana.

As they reached the intersection they were meant to turn south, several small, living tornados rose from the ground. Each tornado had a sinister face on it and a magic stone animating the spinning wind from within the eye. There were almost five dozen of the monsters in total, which were known as air elementals. One of them hurled a blast of air at Bete, whose shin guards sucked in the spell and captured the power of the wind. Bete used it to launch a leaping kick in retaliation.

Tiona cut another down with a wide slash from Urga, then spun back with a swing the other way, catching an Air Elemental trying to sneak in from behind. Tione kicked down an air elemental, then thrust daggers down to finish it off. She darted to another and cut it down too. One of them reached Raul, who slashed it with a sword, but missed. "These guys are hard to see!" remarked Raul.

"Let me make it easier," said Haruhime, who unleashed Kusanagi upon the massed battle, setting every combatant on fire.

The blue flames highlighted the air elementals as they burned brilliantly. Bell saw one trying to approach from the corner of his right eye. Instead of being caught, Bell turned and stabbed the elemental. "Clear out, Lefiya's blowing them all up!" said Gareth.

The front line retreated from the elementals, allowing Lefiya to unleash the spell of Fusillade Fallarica safely. The streams of flame rained upon the elementals, igniting a chorus of explosions. Everywhere the eye could see, elementals got blasted to smithereens, leaving only magic stones behind. One of the surviving elementals sent wind at Bell, blowing him to the ground. Welf ran in, grounding a blast meant for him. Once close, he slashed the elemental, fatally dispersing it.

One of the elementals rammed Morgana, but the cat burglar did not even flinch, as he was immune to this type of attack. He then swung diagonally across the creature, slicing through its airy body and destroying it. He bounded to another and delivered a series of cuts which felled it. With the last elemental down, the supporters collected the magic stones. The expedition continued towards the south and found the stairs to the next floor.

The fifth and final floor was the simplest of them all. It was simply a long walkway up to the Floor Boss' chamber. Once they entered the room, they found an orb filled with whirling air sanctified on an altar. In front of it was a much larger green orb. The green orb detected the expedition and started to crack like an egg. Lightning and gusts of wind erupted from the fissures. A blue dragon with six heads popped out and advanced upon the group.

"The Sky Hydra!" remarked Morgana.

"He's coming for us!" said Kaz. He quickly blew a Succubus Kiss to embrace the Sky Hydra. It made a small grunt, feeling its strength get stripped from its very being.

The Sky Hydra reared back all its heads and breathed blasts of wind and lightning. Welf held up his sword to ground the magic attacks, planting his feet to withstand the force. Bell approached from the left flank. One of the Sky Hydra's heads noticed and snapped at him. Bell hopped right, then turned to face the head. He hopped onto it and plunged his daggers through the neck, causing the head to separate from the its body. The head plopped onto the ground, bleeding air and electricity.

As it flopped around on the ground, the head started to grow back a new neck, then a new body, and completed its regeneration with its legs and claws. The severed head had become a new Sky Hydra entirely, except with a single head. This new hydra splinter suddenly butted Bell, knocking him to the floor. "It created a new dragon?" asked Haruhime.

"Say good bye, dragon!" said Kaz. He sent a black gust of wind at the Sky Hydra splinter's head. The Death Wind spread its dark malignancy across the monster's body, rapidly stripping it of flesh, then bone, until nothing remained.

"I don't know what spell you used, Kaz, but it saved our bacon!" said Tione.

"We must be careful how quickly we sever those heads, otherwise, we'll be swamped by dragons," said Finn. "Bete, Tiona, Tione, break off and deal with any new dragons that appear."

"Yes," replied Bete.

"Roger," replied the sisters.

"Ryu, Wiene, back me up. I'll help them with the new dragons," said Lili.

"Aye!" they replied.

The Sky Hydra breathed lightning, forcing Welf to ground it with his sword. When the dragon ran out of breath, it rammed his head into him, knocking him to the floor. Welf quickly got up, then ran in. The hydra lunged to bite him, but Welf was ready and evaded right. He leapt onto the hydra's head and plunged his sword into its neck. Welf had lopped off the head, which regenerated into a new hydra splinter.

Bete's team closed with the new hydra splinter, drawing its attention to them. The hydra splinter spewed lightning, but Bete took the blast on his shin guards. He then kicked the splinter in the head, discharging its own electricity back into its body. As it reeled, the Hiryute Sisters ran in. The hydra suddenly recovered and lunged at them, but the sisters hopped to safety in opposite directions, breaking their charge.

Kaz fired ice at the main Sky Hydra, luring it towards him and Gareth. It retorted with lightning breath, but Kaz put up a barrier of ice to take the attack. One of the Sky Hydra's heads noticed Ais trying to sneak in and breathed lightning at her. She quickly sidestepped right. The head retreated and another turned to her and breathed wind. The attack hit her Ariel barrier and got mixed in and recirculated into it, sparing her from harm. The head lunged at her, forcing her to hop right.

The previous head shot forward at her, catching her with a head butt and knocking her to the ground. Ais quickly got up and escaped its attempt to bite her. The head tracked her and tried to lunge in for a bite again. She dodged to the right, then turned and sliced off the head. Like the others before, it regenerated into a second splinter, creating a new problem for the expedition to deal with. "I couldn't help it. I was getting overwhelmed!" said Ais as she took Finn's side.

"Don't worry," replied Finn.

"We've got this!" said Bete.

Lili cast the Isolation Corner spell, hurling one that new splinter into a small, darkened pocket dimension. With it forced to stay away and watch, the others directed their focus to the second splinter. It breathed lightning, but Bete absorbed it into his shin guards. He then kicked the monster in the head, discharging its own lightning back into it. The Hiryute Sisters closed distance and Tione went down to slash the hydra splinter's legs. Tiona leapt for the neck and sliced through it, severing the head from it.

The dragon collapsed and disintegrated in a small crackle of electricity. "A third of the way done, guys. Keep up the good work!" said Lili.

After Lili released the other hydra splinter from the Isolation Corner, Wiene fired Garnet Blasts at it, staggering it momentarily. In the following lull, Ryu came in and slashed it as she sailed by. She then turned around and unleashed a Luminous Wind which put the dragon on the ground, it vanishing with the brief crackling of lightning. "The other hydra is down!" said Wiene.

"We can end this with one last shot from our mages," said Finn. "Riveria, Lefiya, get your spells ready!"

"You too Haruhime. Get ready!" called Lili.

"Aye!" replied Haruhime.

"Let's get the rest of those heads down," said Gareth.

The Sky Hydra lunged at Finn with one of its heads. Finn hopped onto the head and stabbed through to the ground with his spear. Finn had pinned the Sky Hydra's head to ground, keeping it from breaking free. Gareth descended from above and completed a decapitating chop. The head separated from its neck and regenerated into a new hydra almost instantly afterwards. Ais soared to a second head, lopping it off as she flew by.

After the second head regenerated into a new dragon, Kaz expanded an ice patch beneath all three monsters. The moment each of them dug in to expel air or lightning, the ice caused them to slip and fall down. He then unleashed a Succubus Kiss. The succubus silhouette embraced the main Sky Hydra and sapped its strength. "Okay, here it comes!" said Raul.

The expedition retreated from the Sky Hydra and its splinters. Haruhime released her spell first, bombarding the trio with swords of illusory blue flame. The dragons growled in pain from being seared. They tried to get up, but the ice denied them of firm ground to lift themselves up. Lefiya's Fusillade Fallarica was the next to arrive, pummelling the dragons with crimson beams of flame. The dragons roared out in agony, but were too wounded to rise again.

Riveria finished the onslaught with Rea Laevateinn. The swirling pillars of flames blasted the splinters and the main Sky Hydra to ash, leaving behind only the magic stone. "Yes!" said Lili as she secured the magic stone.

Some time after their victory, the joint expedition gathered in the Chaos Temple with the orbs collected from the elemental Floor Bosses. Bell placed the water orb in the upper left slot of the altar. Finn placed the wind orb in the upper right. The ground started to shake and a circular portal appeared behind the altar. "Good work, everyone," said Abel.

"Are you going in to look for more magic stones?" asked Lefiya.

"Yes," replied Atsuro. "We still need a few more for our plan."

"Yeah, wish us luck," said Midori.

"Good luck, Abel and friends. Thank you for this expedition," said Riveria.

"I hope some of you can get levels from this expedition," said Abel. "The stronger we can make the adventurers of Orario, the better chance we have of victory."

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After everyone returned home, they went their separate ways. The Hestia Familia returned to the Hestia Hall to reunite with their goddess and receive updates to their Falna. Kaz lay prone on the bed, allowing Hestia to examine his Falna. "So, let's see if you got Lv8," said Hestia.

 **Kazuya Minegishi  
** Lv 7 - 8

Str: F - I  
Vit: S - I  
Dex: SS - I  
Agi: S - I  
Mgc: SSSS - I

 **Skills  
** Mystical Attunement  
Water / Ice Absorb  
Energetic Reservoir  
Dragon Slayer  
Lesser Key - Greater Key (stats +2 ranks to party members with Mage ability or are supernatural)  
Affliction

 **Magic  
** Water Sculptor  
Drain  
Ars Goetia  
Succubus Kiss  
Death Wind

 **Dev Abilities  
** Mage B  
Magic Resist E  
Spirit Heal F  
Healing Power G  
Strong Defence G

As Kaz grew in power, he was regaining some of the capabilities of his true form, the King of Bel, Abel. Greater Key was a reflection of that, as well as his desire to empower the people of Orario to be capable of repelling the demons. "Lv8! Good work Kaz!" said Hestia.

"Yep, I hope the others got some levels for the mission too," said Kaz.

"I'll start theirs if you have no more questions," said Hestia.

"I'm good," said Kaz, who got dressed and passed the bed to Morgana.

 **Morgana Mona  
** Lv 7 - 8

Str: B - I  
Vit: G - I  
Dex: C - I  
Agi: S - I  
Mgc: S - I

 **Skills  
** Shapeshift  
Scanner  
Miracle Punch  
Mercurius  
Beaufort Scaling  
Wing Clipper - Wing Clipper + (++damage to winged foes)

 **Magic  
** Persona: Zorro  
Garu  
Salvation  
Sukunda  
Traesto

 **Dev Abilities  
** Status Resist G  
Mage B  
Magic Resist C  
Spirit Healing F  
Chain Attack I

"You got Lv8, Chain Attack, and an improved Wing Clipper skill, great Morgana!" said Hestia.

"I'm ready for Abel's power up now," said Morgana.

"Uhuh," replied Hestia. "We're almost ready for the mission. The Army of Orario is almost ready too."

"Good, it looks like things are moving fast. Thank you Hestia," said Morgana, who left and allowed Welf to take the bed.

 **Welf Crozzo  
** Lv 6 - 7

Str: A - I  
Vit: A - I  
Dex: B - I  
Agi: B - I  
Mgc: D - I

 **Skill  
** Crozzo Blood  
Mind Blade  
Spell Grounding - Spell Absorb (absorb spells to restore mind and gain a temporary bonus to stats)  
Heart Container  
Strength Seed

 **Magic  
** Will O' Wisp +

 **Dev Abilities  
** Blacksmith B  
Mystery E  
Two-Handed E  
Magic Resist F  
Healing Power G  
Strong Defence G

Welf's new skill was Spell Absorb, an upgrade to his old Spell Grounding skill. He could absorb some of the magic of a spell cast his way, using it to bolster his stats and restore his mind. "Yes! Here's what you have," said Hestia, giving him a copy of his Falna to read.

"Lv7? Nice! Thanks goddess," said Welf. He left and allowed Wiene to take his place.

 **Wiene  
** Lv 6 - 7

Str: F - I  
Vit: F - I  
Dex: S - I  
Agi: S - I  
Mgc: S - I

 **Skills  
** Vouivre Traits  
Xenos  
Soaring  
Garnet Barrier  
Afterburner

 **Magic  
** Garnet Blast  
Garnet Hypnosis  
Garnet Devastation (no-chant, trigger massive explosion at location, cooldown)

 **Dev Abilities  
** Status Resist G  
Magic Resist F  
Escape F  
Spirit Heal G  
Healing Power H

Wiene's new spell was Garnet Devastation, which triggered a massive explosion at the targeted location. Although it required no chant to cast, it did have a cool down period before she could use it again. Hestia pressed a parchment for Wiene to read. "New spell," remarked Wiene.

"A massively destructive spell," said Hestia.

After the updates, the Hestia Familia gathered in the meeting room. "Everything is going well," said Hestia. "The Army of Orario is training hard and getting stronger. Kaz and Morgana got to Lv8 and Welf and Wiene reached Lv7."

"Congratulations, everyone!" said Bell.

"Thank you," said Welf.

"Yeah, thanks Bell!" said Wiene.

"Are we going to the Hostess of Fertility tonight?" asked Lili.

"Yeah," replied Hestia. "Let's not think about the future for now. Let's celebrate our success while we can."

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The Hestia Familia dropped by the Pantheon building to submit their latest updates to Eina. She looked over the sheets for Kaz and Morgana. "Lv8? Congratulations!" said Eina.

"Has anyone from the Loki Familia gotten a level?" asked Kaz.

"Yep, look at the notice. We posted it on the board a minute ago," said Eina.

The Hestia Familia looked at the poster, which displayed pictures of Ais and the senior officers of the Loki Familia. The four of them had reached Lv8, jointly tying them as the third Lv8 adventurers. With Kaz and Morgana's own advancement, they tied for fourth as Lv8 adventurers. Another poster announced that Lefiya herself had reached Lv6 as well, equalling Riveria in power before the entire struggle against the demons began. A few people from other Familia had levelled, but they were not people known to the Hestia Familia.

"Ais is Lv8 now, so are Finn and the others," said Ryu.

"Yes, this is good. If they are getting stronger, that will help us at the front in the Dungeon," said Kaz.

 **END OF CHAPTER**


	34. Rev 07 - Voice of God

Disclaimer:  
DanMachi was created by Fujino Omori. Shin Megami Tensei was created by Atlus. This story uses reference material from them.

 **Demons of the Dungeon  
** **By: RB3  
** **Revelations 7: Voice of God**

Sometime later, Bell visited Rye at Maria's Orphanage. "Hi Bell! Are we training again?" asked Rye.

"Yep, we're doing one last Dungeon run with you. Afterwards, we have are bringing you to a training session with the Loki and Take Mikazuchi Familia," said Bell. "This the first time you'll be training with people not from our Familia."

"Cool, I wonder what they're like?" asked Rye.

"They're really nice people. We did our last expedition with them," replied Bell. "Oh, that reminds me, I also got you a gift. You'll see it back at home."

The two travelled back to the Hestia Hall, where Welf presented one of the Matron Lamia's scimitars to Rye. "These weapons are well balanced and have the Durandal trait, which means they're unbreakable," said Welf.

"Cool! Thanks guys! I'll make good use of it," said Rye, who swung the sword to test its handling. "Yeah, this is really light and well-balanced."

"Glad you like it. Have a croquette before we head to the Babelite base," said Kaz.

For this training exercise, Kaz and Haruhime came along with Bell and Rye. The quartet made their way to F18, the site of the first safe zone in the Dungeon, via a Babelite portal. From there, they descended to F19. "Okay, we've picked up a quest to gather some herbs from this floor. We're going to complete the quest as part of your training," said Bell. "You're getting close to Lv3, so let's see if we can give you the right push."

The Hestia members continued to F24 without any incident. They found an area filled with cliffs and overhead rock pathways. There were numerous trees and other plants growing in this location, making it seem like a forest in the Dungeon. Rye approached a large mushroom. "Stop," said Kaz. "That might be a monster."

Rye quickly reared back, lucky that he had not alerted the possible monster. "Let me test it," said Haruhime. She fired a dark bolt from Drahcir's Staff which punctured a hole through the mushroom. It did not react at all, suggesting that it was a regular mushroom after all.

"False alarm," said Bell. "We were lucky this time, but be careful of any mushrooms on this floor. They might be a monster in disguise."

"Here's some Moly," said Kaz.

The Hestia party gathered the Moly and other herbs with medicinal qualities. As they secured the last of the Moly, a group of lizardmen approached. Rye activated Tonitrus and stood ahead of the group with his shield raised. The lizardmen charged and one banged against Rye's shield with a sword. The lightning surging around Rye's body arced to the monster, immobilizing it with sudden convulsions. Rye swung at the second, connecting the blade with his head fatally.

Kaz put an ice patch on the ground, beneath the remaining lizardmen's feet. They slipped, falling flat onto their backs. Their momentum carried them in front of Rye, right into harm's way by his field of electricity. They were zapped repeatedly, convulsing in agony on the ground. Rye promptly delivered a fatal thrust down at each of them. Another tried to approach, but did so slowly, trying to maintain balance on the ice. Rye slashed it, causing it to fall to the ground, where he hacked the monster to death.

"Good work, Rye," said Bell.

The Hestia party continued deeper into the floor and found a large circular room. A single tree grew in the centre of the room, which had a pile of golden Valis coins within a hole in its trunk. A single green dragon slept in front of the tree like a guard dozing off on duty. "Oh! Remember this?" asked Kaz.

"Yeah," said Bell.

"Me too," said Haruhime.

"Good times," said Bell.

"It's fitting that you should fight a green dragon, Rye," said Kaz. "We got some of our earlier levels fighting that thing. This is the perfect opponent for you. Haruhime will enhance you so you can match it."

"So this is my exam for Lv2," said Rye. "Okay, bring 'em on!"

Haruhime cast Uchide no Kozuchi and Yata no Kagami on Rye for his battle with the green dragon. The others stayed back while Rye took point to do battle. He cast Tonitrus and surrounded his body with crackling lightning. As he approached, the dragon sensed his presence and awoke. It spewed fire at him, but he raised a Bulwark that took the brunt of the heat, straining to keep the barrier from collapsing. The dragon exhausted its breath, creating an opening for Rye to leap in and slash the left side of its neck.

The blow opened a small cut, followed by the wound being seared by electricity. The dragon reared back in agony. In anger, it clawed Rye, hitting his shield, but still knocking him down through sheer force and shattering one of his illusory doubles. He quickly got up and circled to the dragon's right. The dragon tracked his movements, then tried to lunge forward to bite him. Rye hopped the opposite direction, then slammed the vampire shield against the cut. The shield drank blood to replenish both itself and its master.

Rye moved to the joint connecting the left front leg to the body and swung at it. The dragon recoiled in pain. Rye quickly rammed the shield against the wound, intensifying the pain and draining blood for recovery. The dragon suddenly reared its head, then slapped it against Rye. Despite blocking, the blow hit hard enough to take Rye off his feet. It sent him to a side wall, separating them and shattering another two of his illusory double. Rye slowly arose to resume the battle.

He inched closer with his shield ready. The dragon tried to claw him, but Rye moved back to evade it. The dragon reared back to breathe fire, but Rye quickly hopped out of the flames' path. When the dragon tired, Rye bolted in and slashed its left front knee. The dragon cried out in agony, having lost its footing and collapsing. Sensing weakness, Rye pounced onto the dragon and starting hacking away. Each hit arced more electricity into the dragon's body. It gave out and disintegrated, leaving behind a magic stone.

"Awesome!" said Haruhime.

"Yeah," said Kaz.

"Great work Rye!" said Bell.

After claiming the magic stone and the gold Valis coins in the tree, the Hestia party returned to town. They brought Rye back to the Hestia Hall, where he met the goddess in her bedroom. "You killed a green dragon today?" asked Hestia.

"Yeah, it was a hard battle, even harder than the Lygerfang," replied Rye.

"Listen, there's something we need to let you know," said Hestia, who told Rye about the mission against Yaldabaoth and how Haruhime would raise them to Lv10 to complete it.

"Sounds dangerous. I'm part of your Familia, so I understand I need to pull my weight. I can't have you babysit me all the time," said Rye.

"I'm glad you understand," said Hestia.

"Yeah, I'm playing with the big boys for that mission," said Rye. "You can count on me."

"Okay, thank you," said Hestia. "I'm glad we can count on you. Use this manual to get a new skill to get ready for the mission."

When Rye opened the red book, a rush of information filled his mind. "Let's see my Falna now," said Rye.

 **Rye Baker  
** Lv 2 - 3

Str: A - I  
Vit: S - I  
Dex: C - I  
Agi: C - I  
Mgc: A - I

 **Skill  
** Bulwark  
Defender Aura  
Mind Vengeance (build power by getting hit, release with an attack, uses mind)

 **Magic  
** Tonitrus - Tonitrus + (create aura of electricity around self, can discharge electricity while aura is up)

 **Dev Abilities  
** Status Resist H  
Hunter I  
Sword & Board I (+stat when fighting with a shield)  
Luck I

Rye always idolized high level adventurers such as Ais Wallenstein and especially his mentor, Bell Cranel. He had the Luck ability like Bell did and Mind Vengeance was basically his version of Bell's Argonaut skill. It worked slightly differently, as it required Rye to take hits, even ones blocked by his shield. It synergized very well with his defensive focus to prepare a deadly retaliation. Tonitrus was Rye's own electrical version of Ais' Ariel and he had upgraded it to discharge electricity as a ranged attack.

"Nice abilities, lots of good stuff this level," said Hestia.

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At the colosseum in the eastern part of Orario, numerous adventurers faced off each other in sparring sessions. Strikes from wooden swords, axes, and maces went back and forth. Some would hit their mark, others would be dodged. The god Ganesha watched from a balcony as his Familia members trained below in the arena. Ganesha felt a sense of satisfaction with his Familia and how they were progressing. Even the lowest members of his Familia were building strength and levels, getting ready for the great battle in the Dungeon bottom.

At the Babelite base, the Loki, Take Mikazuchi, and Hestia Familia had started their own training session. Silas Thompson and Rye Baker faced each other in a sparring match. Silas threw the first move, a chop to the body. Rye blocked it with his wooden shield. "Is he a new Familia member?" asked Ais as she and Bell observed the duel.

"Yes, that's Rye Baker. We've been training him during our off times," said Bell.

Rye swung for Silas' head, but he parried the blow and pushed back Rye. "He's giving Silas quite a run for his money," said Tiona. "What level is he?"

"Lv3," replied Bell. "He got there just a few days ago."

"He seems quite skilled. You've trained him well," remarked Ais.

"Thank you. It means a lot coming from you," said Bell.

Rye lunged in for a thrust, nicking Silas' left biceps with the training sword. Silas swung hard, rattling Rye's shield and knocking him onto his butt. The official called an end to the duel as time had run out. "Good fight kid!" said Silas. "Once we're done here, let's show those angels what we're made of."

Meanwhile, Freya sipped a glass of wine, seated on her throne, overlooking the sprawl of Orario from Babel Tower. She noticed the glimmer of a light and stood up to see what it was more clearly. A bolt of lightning struck Babel Tower, shearing off the top ten floors! Citizens fled the scene as the tip came crashing to the ground, spreading rubble everywhere. A loud boom radiated outward, such that everyone in Orario could hear the destruction of its most famous landmark.

Another bolt of lightning struck the still standing portion, shearing another twenty floors from it. A swarm of angels descended upon the city, attacking anyone who was unfortunate enough to be caught outside. A Virtue electrocuted a shopping housewife with ball lightning to the back. A Power closed with an adventurer on the street and thrust a spear at him. The adventurer dodged and struck back with a sword. The Power backed away, then hurled a Megido spell which blew the adventurer to the ground.

Back at the Babelite training area, Abel heard the report of this attack from his radio. "Attention all Familia, the angels have launched an attack on Orario. Please suit up for battle immediately. I repeat, the angels are attacking Orario. Please suit up for battle immediately!" announced Abel through telepathy.

"An attack? Now?" asked Lili as she and the Hestia Familia approached.

"They came very suddenly. The angel ringleader struck Babel Tower with lightning. Other angels followed and started wrecking the city," said Abel. "Judging from the nature of the attack, I have an idea of who's leading them."

"Saemon, I think it's time you powered up everyone," said Atsuro.

"Yes," replied Abel. "Mikoto, Ais, please come here!"

The two adventurers came close to the group. Abel and Kaz faced each other. The two walked into each other and their images superimposed, leaving behind only Abel. He then directed a stream of white light to Morgana, who shut his eyes from the sheer intensity of power filling his being. "I feel stronger!" said Morgana.

Abel then presented the nine magic stones to each of the intended recipients of Haruhime's spell. "You turn, Haruhime," said Abel.

"Yes," replied Haruhime. She raised Drahcir's staff into the air.

Every member of the special strike team became surrounded in a blue flame similar to her Foxfire. Great power filled their being, elevating them to their peak of power at Lv10. "I feel stronger too!" said Mikoto.

"Yes!" said Ais.

"You must go and stop the angel attacks. I'm going to stop the ringleader," said Abel.

"Good luck to you," said Bell.

"Yes, Lord Abel, please be careful," said Hestia.

Abel passed through the Babelite portal into the mine, then teleported to the centre of Orario. The damage to Babel Tower was extensive with charring in several parts of the wreckage. "Where are you?" asked Abel, reaching out with his sixth sense to locate the perpetrator. "There you are!"

The perpetrator was to the north of the tower ruins. He was a robotic angel with a silver chassis and hair made of gold. He wore a white chiton with golden highlights and a cross depicted on its lower flap. The angel erupted streams of fiery energy from the ground, levelling a block's worth of businesses and homes. An orb of almighty energy struck him from behind and the explosion hurled him out of the city. He crashed abruptly into the grassy plain, leaving indentations in the ground.

Abel appeared beside the angel ringleader. "Metatron," said Abel. "To think it would be you causing this destruction."

"Son of man, you would dare stop the resurrection of my Lord?" asked Metatron.

"I have seen the destruction your Lord has caused, nor have I forgiven him for how he destroyed my Tower of Babel," said Abel. "Nanashi was gracious enough to put an end to his rampage across the Expanse. I will not let his efforts go to waste."

"Then you and I shall be enemies," said Metatron.

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Back in the city of Orario, the unified strike team had arrived at the city limits. Buildings were on fire and angels hovered above the city, firing on anyone they spotted below. A crowd of people fled out the east gate, trampling each other to escape the spreading destruction. A Cherub, an angel which resembled a robed man seated on a golden throne, came face to face with Bell. The angel's throne had armrests with carvings of a bull and lion, while his headrest had the carving of a back-facing eagle.

The Cherub fired a bullet, but Bell sidestepped it. Bell retorted with a Firebolt in return, hitting it in the chest and blowing it back. The Cherub projected a blast kinetic force which Bell somersaulted over. Bell dashed in and sliced the angel in the chest. Despite being wounded, the angel regained its composure, then fired bullets. Bell evaded them, deflecting the last shot with the Hestia Knife. He went in and slashed the angel three more times on the way past. The angel collapsed and disintegrated.

Ryu met a Throne angel, who sprayed flame at her. She shifted left and avoided it. She cast Displacing Wind and vanished, puzzling the Throne. She reappeared behind the angel and flew by with a slash across its side. The Throne gritted his teeth and produced a pillar of light. Ryu zipped out of its way, letting it strike the ground harmlessly. She slashed the Throne while running past, then turned and leapt up to release her Luminous Wind spell, pummelling the angel to dust.

Lili shot a Virtue with an arrow, scoring the hit on its chest. The Virtue hurled ball lightning in response, which forced Lili to run for cover around the corner of a house. She peeked out to squeeze out a pair of shots, but got ball lightning tossed back in return. She transformed into a Batpat and flew to the roof of a smithy, where she turned back into a chienthrope. She evaded more ball lightning, then fired a Mimic Arrow loaded with Firebolt. It hit the angel's stomach, blowing him to pieces.

Welf grounded a Hama spell, then leapt in and sliced its source, a Dominion, in half. "There are more angels to the north," Welf cried to his allies.

"I'm concerned about my Familia," said Mikoto. "Let's check up on them."

"Okay, lead the way," said Bell.

The unified strike team travelled to the northeastern part of Orario, where they found a series of townhouses. Several buildings had been smashed to rubble by the attack of the angels with a few even on fire. They ended up a few blocks east of the Take Mikazuchi townhouse, where they found a general store which had been set on fire by a Throne. That Throne had been accompanied by Powers and Virtues, who were engaged in battle with members of the Take Mikazuchi Familia.

Ouka landed a chop to the shoulder of a Power. Once it collapsed to the ground, Ouka finishing it off with a final chop to its prone body. "Ouka!" cried Mikoto, after having stabbed another Power from behind.

"Mikoto! Am I ever glad to see you!" said Ouka.

"What happened to Lord Mikazuchi?" asked Mikoto.

"We hid him in the storm cellar, where he'd be safe," replied Ouka. "Thanks to your arrival, we've managed to secure this area."

"That's good to know," said Mikoto.

"Listen, we need to check on Loki and my Familia," said Ais.

"Lead the way, Ais," said Bell.

The strike team followed Ais to the west, where they discovered members of the Loki Familia engaged in battle with a platoon of angels. Finn sidestepped a Cherub's bullet, then moved in to stab it. The Cherub ascended to avoid the strike. It cast a Megido spell, the explosion disintegrating a house and hurling Finn to the ground. Ais sped towards the angel and lopped off his head from behind. Her Ariel barrier shredded the rest of its body, guaranteeing that the angel could not recover.

Gareth's axe sliced across a Throne's body, opening a small cut. The Throne spewed fire, forcing him to block and back away. When the two stared each other down again, Mikoto sent a Futsunushi spell at it. The Throne was pulled up and spun around the air like a moon orbiting a planet. She leapt past the angel, cutting him on the way up. The Throne split into halves which vanished into darkness. Gareth noticed members of the Hestia Familia arriving as reinforcements and lowered his weapon.

"Aye, it's great to you," said Gareth.

"You aren't hurt, are you?" asked Ais.

"No, I'm okay," said Finn.

The group heard the last words of the chant of Riveria's spell. A wave of freezing air descended on a Throne and its angelic allies like a massive white tsunami. The angel got frozen solid and tumbled from the sky, shattering upon hitting the ground. Tiona kicked one Virtue into the second, knocking them into a tangled pile on the ground. Bell arrived, much to the joy of the women. "Are you guys okay?" asked Bell.

"Yes Argonaut, we're fine," said Tiona.

"It looks like the battle is starting to die down. The city's Familia are holding their ground against the angels," said Riveria. "We've suffered some losses, but morale is holding. We know we can win."

"Have you seen Abel?" asked Lili. "He went to take on the big boss."

"We saw him briefly, but he hurled the enemy leader out of the city to bring the fight to the countryside," said Rivera.

More angels descended upon the area. "Great, more of them..." said Welf.

The angel force scattered to engage the gathered Loki Familia and strike team. A Seraph, an angel which looked like a mass of wings with four faces, locked gazes with Gareth. He shot bullets at the dwarf, who deflected them with the flat of his axe. The Seraph then sprayed flame, which Gareth escaped by sidestepping. Gareth attempted to bound off a house's roof to reach him, but the Seraph banked back to escape.

"Can't get into range!" said Gareth.

At that moment, a wind blade flew at the Seraph, forcing it to evade by banking to its left. The Seraph fired retaliatory bullets at its attacker, Yuzu, its bullets pattering against her magic barrier. The wind blade suddenly turned back and sliced the Seraph's side from behind. Staggered, he got caught in Yuzu's following tornado. It spun the angel around for three seconds, then harshly ejected it into the pavement. Gareth pounced on the Seraph and plunged the axe into its prone body.

"Thank you lady," said Gareth.

"You're welcome. We came when we detected high-ranking angels taking part in the attack," said Yuzu.

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The battle between Abel and Metatron had spilt into the Orarian countryside. The rural area was covered in craters and smouldering patches of ground from these two titans hurling magic at each other. Metatron erupted a stream of fiery energy beneath Abel, sending the King of Bel hurtling more than a kilometre into the sky. Yog appeared and proceeded to rain orbs of destruction upon Metatron. The angel got staggered by two hits, then a third blasted him into a barn.

Metatron tore a hole through the barn's roof and the shockwave brought the entire structure collapsing down upon him. In a few moments, Metatron tossed off the debris and got up. He

hurled an orb of almighty energy, blasting Yog away with the explosion. Scarlet and Mao followed by blasting Metatron with flame and lightning respectively. Metatron blocked the combined attacks and projected kinetic force to blow both of them down.

Abel suddenly entwined a vine around Metatron's leg and yanked him to the ground. He spun Metatron in a circle, then released him in the direction of a grain silo. Metatron smashed through it, bringing it tumbling down as he continued hurtling across the countryside. As Metatron hit the ground, he tore a groove into it before coming to a complete stop in front of the Beol Mountains. Abel appeared nearby just as Metatron started to rise.

He formed a Reality Fracture over Metatron, tearing his body with a crack in the fabric of reality. Despite being torn from outside and within, Metatron remained intact and ripped his way through the rift. He fired holy energy at Abel, forcing the King of Bel to evade by teleporting. Metatron followed him to a cliff on one of the Beol Mountains and nailed him with a second holy blast. Abel crashed into the mountain, sheering off the peak as he crashed through.

Instead of letting it crash to the ground, Metatron caught the mountain peak and tossed it at Abel. It struck Abel, sending him crashing to the ground below. Abel's impact kicked up a massive cloud of dust. Once it cleared, Metatron descended to investigate. He found only the shattered mountain peak, with Abel nowhere to be found. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck from above, staggering the angel with convulsions!

Abel kept the electricity arcing through the air, even as Metatron struggled through it to turn and face him. "You will not win, son of man," said Metatron.

Metatron forced through the electricity and sped up to fly at Abel for a punch. His fist passed through the King of Bel's body unharmed. "Big mistake!" said Abel, being energized by the force behind the blow.

Metatron blasted Abel with holy energy, sending him bouncing along the ground. He flew in pursuit and erupted the Fires of Sinai beneath his foe. Abel teleported away, then entwined Metatron's leg with a vine. He whipped Metatron against one of the Beol Mountains, punching an indentation into it. He then formed a Seal of Bel nearby, which sapped the robotic angel's strength. Abel tore open a Reality Fracture, shredding Metatron and whole chunks from the Beol Mountain. The pieces were dragged into the rift and disintegrated.

Abel slumped to one knee from such a gruelling, hard-fought battle. "Abel darling, are you okay?" asked Scarlet, rushing to his side. Her hand glowed white as she applied a healing spell onto him.

"I am now, thank you, darling," said Abel.

"You did it! You beat Metatron!" said Scarlet.

"You did well, Great One," said Yog.

"Purr-fect!" said Mao. "Let's see if everyone's okay."

Meanwhile, the strike team continued its battle against the angels invading the city of Orario. A mechanical angel made of brass had moved to engage Atsuro. It had a halo above its head, but was missing its limbs. One of its wings had been stripped with the metal skeleton exposed. This angel was known as Victor. He was the guardian angel of St. Patrick and had spoken to the saint in his dreams to get him to spread Christianity in Ireland.

Victor fired a volley of bullets at Atsuro, which pattered against his magic barrier harmlessly. Atsuro quickly arced a lightning bolt, which Victor banked right to evade. Tulzcha shot balls of green flame at Victor, who banked again to evade. Viola dashed forward and pounced on Victor. Her swords struck a barrier and forced her back to the ground. She swung her weapons, whipping blasts of ice and wind. They too were blunted by his barrier.

Victor ended his defensive posture, then sprayed bullets upon Atsuro's team. They guarded with violet barriers until a stream of violet, energy-draining tendrils struck Victor from behind. Atsuro sent his lightning at Victor, amplifying the damage the angel suffered. Victor disintegrated and Atsuro looked for who helped him and found Abel standing on the roof of a grocery market. "Oh, Saemon!" said Atsuro.

"Hey! I'm glad to see you're well," said Abel.

After teleporting down to the ground, Yuzu ran up and hugged him. "Oh, I'm so glad you're safe!" said Yuzu.

"Did you defeat the boss? Who was it?" asked Midori.

"It was Metatron," replied Abel.

"Metatron?" asked Atsuro. "He came out all the way out here to intervene?"

"Yeah," replied Abel. "They were getting close to reviving the Shard of Divinity. He wanted to stop us from interfering."

"At least now, he won't be a problem," said Midori. "It must have been some battle. You look beat."

"Yeah, Metatron is one of the strongest angels, but I defeated him," said Abel.

"That means we're going down into the Dungeon soon," said Bell.

 **END OF CHAPTER**


	35. Rev 08 - Fallen Angels

Disclaimer:  
DanMachi was created by Fujino Omori. Shin Megami Tensei was created by Atlus. This story uses reference material from them.

 **Demons of the Dungeon  
** **By: RB3  
** **Revelations 8: Fallen Angels**

The angels lay fallen before the feet of the adventurers and one by one, their bodies disintegrated into nothingness. The adventurers let loose a chorus of cheers throughout the city of Orario. Despite their victory, it was not without cost, as the damage to Orario was great. Babel Tower no longer stood, having been levelled by Metatron's lightning bolt. Many gods and goddesses perished during the collapse of the tip, severing their connection to their Familia. Among them was Freya, head of one of the mightiest Familia in Orario.

With her passing, her Familia was effectively defunct. However, the surviving members of the Freya Familia had gathered in the front yard of the Familia home. Ottar addressed his Familia from the top of a flight of stairs to the front door. "As the Familia captain, I wish to begin by thanking everyone for your years of support and hard work. If Lady Freya was still here, she'd say the same. She may be gone, but we won't let that deter us. For our final battle as a united Familia, let's get revenge against the angels!"

"YEAH!" cheered the entire Freya Familia, thrusting weapons into the air.

"Once we've defeated them, we'll say our farewells can go our separate ways," said Ottar. "Thank you for your time."

Similar pep talks occurred all around the city of Orario, each god and their Familia captain encouraging their Familia before departure for the front in the Dungeon. Thousands of adventurers of hundreds of Familia marched through the portal to F75, the City of the North Star. They flew dozens of flags and banners displaying the Familia they belonged to. In the distance, they could hear the sound of gunfire and explosions echo from alleys and streets. The Babelites were already present and engaging in a skirmish with the Messians.

The Loki and Take Mikazuchi Familia led this massive army from the head, with the strike team following them. A group of Mohawk gang members sped towards the massive army of adventurers, arrogantly thinking them easy prey. Atsuro leapt into the air and kicked one of the bikers in the forehead, knocking him off of his ride. As soon as he stood up, the Mohawk's head swelled gruesomely, then exploded in a fountain of blood.

Atsuro sidestepped the chain of another, then closed and punched the gang member's stomach, heart, and forehead. Three seconds after being pushed back, the Mohawk's head exploded, followed by the rest of his body. Bete kicked another Mohawk's leg, staggering the monster, then scored another kick to his spleen. The Mohawk backed away, then suddenly had his leg blown off, followed by his spleen rupturing in a stream of blood. The Mohawk fell into a mangled heap on the ground and crumbled, leaving only a magic stone behind.

Tiona scored a flying kick to the forehead, knocking her Mohawk target down. As soon as the Mohawk got up, his head swelled gruesomely, then exploded, resulting in him collapsing permanently. "That is just dreadful!" remarked Riveria. "I've read about it, but I never expected it to be this horrifying!"

The Army of Orario swept past F76, Ruined Tokyo, and F77, Cybertronic Computer Systems. They reached F78, Cyberspace, where they set up camp by the Input Port, the entrance of the floor. The Babelites had opened a new portal in the janitor's stockroom of an abandoned convention centre nearby, a three story building covered by reflective glass panels. The Messian army had established its defensive positions just outside the Output Port at the very north end of the floor.

The angels did not wait before they sent forces to attack the Orarian position. Swarms of angels flooded the skies. Those angels who descended caused battle lines to become drawn, adventurer against angel. During this time, the strike team had slipped out unnoticed and entered an abandoned, underground subway station in the east. Its tracks extended for kilometres to the north. The only thing that lit the tunnels were lichen and moss growing and casting a soft green light upon the soiled walls.

As they approached the Output Port station, they found a pile of rock in their path. The roof had collapsed and dumped a mass of dirt and twisted metal girders onto the tracks, which blocked the subway tunnel. "Great! How do we get past this?" asked Welf.

"Easily," replied Abel. He sprayed the pile with water, which started to grind and dissolve the rock pile gradually, from top to bottom. The rock mixed into the water and became a muddy slurry which flowed along the ground around the strike team's feet. "The way's open now."

The group continued on and climbed onto the subway platform, then ascended the stairs into the ticket area. They passed a set of glass doors leading into the Output Port Mall. It had rows of stores ranging from clothing and electronics to bed linens. They entered a central concourse with potted plants and exited glass doors leading to the street. The group ducked into the nearby alleys and even into other abandoned buildings to approach the Messian position without being noticed.

They entered a burger joint from its back door and stayed low to the ground and behind the counter and seats as they looked at the street ahead. They saw an upscale clothing boutique named Cherie's. Some angels were guarding the store, and a few exited for reasons unknown. Atsuro started to scan the building with his comp, as did Morgana with Zorro. "There are a whole ton of angels around that place," reported Morgana.

"It looks like that's the command centre for the angels of this floor," said Atsuro.

"I'll blow the whole building," said Abel. "Get ready for a fight."

Abel opened a reality fracture down the height of the building. Pieces of reality itself chipped off and got dragged into the black void, taking along whatever was present. Nothing was spared, not Cherie's Clothing Boutique, and not any of the angels. They screamed in terror as the reality fracture tore them to pieces and devoured them. Only an empty lot remained. Nearby, other angels saw the destruction, then the strike team charging out to attack, and scrambled to retaliate.

Lili saw several angels approach overhead and started firing arrows up at them. Her arrows clipped the wing of a Power, stalling it in the air. Another struck its chest, then a third struck its head, felling it. Morgana conjured a raging tornado over the roofs of the buildings. The angels either fled or were dragged in and spun in a dizzying circle. Wiene stopped in the air and applied Garnet Hypnosis to another group. They became dazed and disoriented, unable to fight back. She then blasted them all in a massive crimson explosion with Garnet Devastation.

More angels came from the south. "Reinforcements!" cried Mikoto.

"They must have returned from the front," said Lili.

"Yeah, we were making such a ruckus here, they had no choice but to check it out," said Welf.

A Dominion hurled ball lightning at Bell, who was on the roof of a jewellery store. After he sidestepped the attack, it then hurled a Megido spell back, which Bell escaped by leaping onto the neighbouring roof. The orb disintegrated the building, leaving nothing behind but rubble. Bell sent two Firebolts at the Dominion, who evaded both. Bell fired a third, catching it on the chest and blowing it out of the sky.

Rye raised a Bulwark over Lili and Haruhime, protecting them from incoming Hama spells. He pointed his sword at the offending Throne and a bolt of lightning arced from the tip. Struck, the Cherub convulsed in agony, which cost it altitude and sent it plunging into a death dive to the ground. Haruhime unleashed the Kusanagi spell, raining Foxfire swords all over the rest of the angels. The Kusanagi spell ignited the angels in spectral blue flames. They flailed about in terror, futilely trying to douse the flames.

The angel reinforcements ended with Midori incinerating the last Cherub. "I'm getting reports that our forces have repelled the angel attack. After we messed up this base, it'll be easy for them to swoop in and take over!" said Yuzu.

"Alright!" cheered the strike team members.

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The Army of Orario moved to the next floor from the Output Port. Like the Input Port, the Dungeon environment around the Output Port seemed to distort and twist into clusters of pixelated green characters around the tunnel down. It was like code in a computer, determining all physical parameters of the environment. The tunnel itself was more like the interior of a wire, circular in shape, with walls of clear plastic. The trip down to F79 was long and winding, but eventually, they saw light at the end.

The group had entered a verdigris structure, suggesting it was made of copper. It resembled a gigantic torch being held up by a female statue, a goddess dressed in a toga. In her other hand was a book. "This is the Statue of Liberty!" said Yuzu upon seeing the statue's face. "We're in New York!"

The strike team descended the torch and arm, then the body and legs, and finally the base. Unlike the original New York, Liberty Island had been connected to the mainland when the gods compressed the Old World together to form the Dungeon. Even the buildings were out of place, having been moved out of place or destroyed during the creation of Yaldabaoth's prison. This New York was as decrepit and run down as the rest of the Ruins of the Old World.

Near the Statue of Liberty was an abandoned big box store known as Walton's. This store still had items in stock, either preserved from the nuclear war, or recreated by the Dungeon's regenerative power. After checking for monsters and securing the building, they made camp inside for the night. Yuzu used her comp to place a sealing barrier over Walton's, preventing any monsters from spawning within its walls. As a second layer of protection, Yog formed a building-wide Domain to trap any monster which wandered in.

For preparing food, Atsuro and Lili connected a stove to a car battery recovered from the motor vehicles department. Haruhime acquired a kettle from the cookware section and filled it with water donated by Abel. She set it on the heating element for boiling. In the meantime, she used a frying pan from the same department to warm their rations. "Mmm, this is delicious," said Ais, eating some reheated pemmican.

Abel noticed Mikoto standing by a series of hot tubs and shower stalls in the bath section of Walton's. She was looking at an ad with a picture of a couple in swim wear, enjoying a bath in the hot tub. "Interested in the tubs?" asked Abel of Mikoto as he came by.

"Yeah, actually, it's good that you're here. I don't suppose you could use that magic of yours to make a bath for me? Please?" asked Mikoto.

"Alright, let me move the tub over," offered Abel.

He levitated a hot tub to a changing room in the clothing section, where he used more telekinesis to clear the clothing racks out of the way. He created a cloud which rained a torrent of water into the basin. Mikoto put her hand into the water as a test. "Too cold, is there anyway to warm it?" asked Mikoto.

"Let me do it," said Scarlet, appearing from the space between dimensions.

She hovered above the tub and projected flame from her hands. The water started to steam into the air. Mikoto tested it again. "Just right," remarked Mikoto. "Hey everybody, we got a hot tub set up!" she called to the others.

"That's great!" said Ryu, coming over with Lili and the other girls to check.

"Where do we go to wash ourselves?" asked Lili.

"Just a moment," replied Abel.

He levitated some shower stalls and a set of bath tubs from the bath section and moved them near the hot tub. He also retrieved hoses from the gardening department and used them to connect the stalls to the tubs. With this set up, the hoses fed in warm water from a tub for showering, then drained out the waste water into another tub. "That's ingenious!" remarked Mikoto, looking over the arrangement after Abel explained it.

Abel nodded. "If anyone wants to take a bath, please do it together and right now. Scarlet and I will need to be present to pump the water," said Abel.

"Of course, but where do we change? We can't walk out into the store naked!" said Lili.

"Use those change rooms by the wall. Let me rearrange our 'bathroom,'" said Abel.

He telekinetically moved the hot tub in front of the change room, then arranged the shower stalls to surround it in the shape of a horseshoe. With their entrances facing the hot tub, the opaque rears of the shower stalls faced outward, blocking the view to maintain privacy. To plug the gaps between stalls, Abel set up window curtains there. "That's good, Lord Abel," said Mikoto. "Okay girls, let's get ready."

The female strike team members grabbed soap, towels, and other supplies from the store and entered the change rooms. Once they started showering in the stalls, Abel kept the water flowing while Scarlet heated it with fire magic. After, the women entered the hot tubs to rest and relax. Once they were done, Abel drained the used water and replaced it with clean water. Then the men took their turn at the baths.

After the baths, Yuzu found some magazines by the cashier counters. Her interest was the magazines on fashion and celebrities. She found a news magazine which reported on US medallists at the recent Olympic Games. On the cover were the Hiryute Sisters. Instead of the scanty clothing they normally wore as amazon warriors, they wore tennis uniforms and carried tennis rackets in this picture. Tiona and Tione were known as Alicia and Mabel Smith respectively back then and seemed quite proud to have won gold medals as a tennis duo.

Ais noticed Yuzu browsing the magazines and came to look. "That's Tiona and Tione!" said Ais upon seeing the magazine cover.

"Uh-huh, this must be their past lives," said Yuzu turning around to see Ais. "They won gold medals for doubles tennis at the Olympic Games."

"Let me have a copy, no two, no more! I have to show them this!" said Ais, grabbing the magazines from the rack. She put them with her possessions in Haruhime's backpack. "Do we all have past lives from the Old World like this?"

"I think so," replied Yuzu. "We saw Asfi and Welf's past lives back at Cybertronic Computer Systems."

"What was Asfi like? Was she an adventurer like she is now?" asked Ais.

"No, there weren't any adventurers back then. Instead, she was a scientist named Agnes Prince," replied Yuzu. "She worked for Cybertronic actually. She helped build the Arnold robots."

"She built those monsters?" asked Ais.

"Yes, and the Floor Boss we defeated," replied Yuzu.

"What about Welf?" asked Ais.

"Welf was a soldier who piloted Cyber Gear Rex," replied Yuzu. "His country ordered him to attack a rival, which caused all of the nukes to start flying."

Ais opened the magazine to read about the Hiryute Sisters. Though the language was similar to that of Orario, it used different letters. After flipping through, she found a page with Bete on it. Bete had his arms raised victoriously, for he too was a gold medallist. He wore boxing gloves and shorts and was known as "The Beast" Daniel Greyson. Since werewolves didn't exist back then, he was a full human. Despite that, he still had a wild, bestial look about him, which is what earned him his nickname.

"Even Bete was there..." said Ais.

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Some time later, the Army of Orario occupied the area around Walton's. After a moment to rest and recover, the army advanced again, this time to capture the rest of F79. Their target was in the south. A military base stood there, acting as supporting infrastructure for an ICBM silo. This silo had launched some of the nuclear weapons which devastated the Old World at the behest of Yaldabaoth. The angels had set up numerous guard posts and lookout points around it.

Three powerful angels had been spotted among their ranks. One was Uriel and the other two were Gabriel and Raphael, three of the Four Great Heralds. The fourth, Michael, was not present. According to intelligence, he was on the final floor, where Yaldabaoth was kept sealed. He was personally tending to the revival of Yaldabaoth, while the other three Heralds held the final line before the Shrine of the Demiurge.

As the Army of Orario fought the angels, the strike team was below, in the tunnels of the subway system. Yog flew them southward, following the lengthy train tracks which reached to the other end of New York City. Like the previous floor's subway tunnel, the moss and lichens of the Dungeon were the only things keeping the tunnel lit. At about the halfway mark, below Grand Central Terminal, the floor and walls started to spawn Arnold units. Yog stopped and let his passengers out.

The Arnolds fearlessly marched forward, firing energy rifles at the group. Welf stood before the team, absorbing the energy into his sword. Beside him, Rye had raised a Bulwark to cover the party supporters. As some of them drew near, Rye fired lightning. He struck the frontmost one and overloaded its circuitry. It started to burn and collapsed dead to the ground. Another came and he blasted it to the ground.

"More coming from the rear!" cried Lili, turning to face those Arnolds, shooting arrows at them.

Rye put himself between the new robots and the supporters to protect them. Lili fired an arrow charged with Tonitrus at one of the Arnolds. The arrow stuck into the robot and caused it to convulse as the arrow released its charge. Haruhime fired dark bolts, blowing off the head of another. Her illusionary allies, a pair of earth elementals, pummelled an Arnold each. Their powerful attacks left both as heaps of scrap, which crumbled to leave behind a crystal.

Abel formed a Seal of Bel, blocking the entire entrance of the rear tunnel. To reach them, the Arnolds were forced to cross it, getting slowed down, possibly stopped entirely, all while the sigil sapped their strength. Mao projected electricity at three Arnolds, causing convulsions which incapacitated them. Yog fired orbs, bowling down another four. Despite the onslaught, a few successfully crossed the sigil. Scarlet appeared behind them and melted them to goo with flame.

"We're safe here. Let's focus on the front," said Haruhime.

Ais darted from robot to robot, slicing their torsos off, which were further shredded by Ariel. Mikoto hurled a Futsunushi at another group. The singularity lifted them up and spun them around in a ring. One of them slipped past and fired at her. She weaved past the shots, making a cut across the side of the stomach as she passed by. The robot started experiencing shorts from the severed wires. Mikoto ran back for another slice, severing the torso and destroying the robot.

Welf grounded energy bolts as he ran in. With one swing, he chopped the Arnold in half. "That takes care of these ones," said Welf.

"Let's keep moving," said Yuzu.

Yog ferried the team the rest of the way to Wall Street Station, which was east of the ICBM silo's location. Once on the surface, the party snuck their way down Wall Street's back alleys and through buildings to avoid the sight of angels. They snuck into a bank and ascended to the second floor, where they got a good view of the missile base. They kept in the shadows of the blinds to avoid being spotted while spying on it.

The missile base had a lot with raised metallic, dais-like structures on top of them. These were the covering hatches for silos which once housed nuclear missiles. Beside the silos was a cluster of two storey, brick and mortar buildings. They were barracks, vehicle hangars, and command buildings for the launch authority of this site. The entire area was enclosed by a chainlink fence wrapped with barbed wire on top.

A division of angels stood in a space before one of the barracks. One of the Great Heralds, Uriel, gave a sermon to the assembled group as a pep talk to boost morale. From the window, Morgana took a look at the other two Heralds. One, Raphael, was an angel with a buzz cut clad in blue armour. The other, Gabriel, was a green-skinned woman with a gentle disposition. After the angels listened to the sermon, they flew away to join the battle against the Army of Orario.

"There they are," said Morgana.

"Yeah, we're in for a rough fight, even if we could get each of them alone," said Abel.

"Uriel is vulnerable to air, Raphael to fire, and Gabriel fears lightning," said Morgana. "Take advantage of that."

"Okay," said Ryu.

"Do you see anyway of sneaking into their camp?" asked Bell.

"Hmm..." said Morgana, scanning everywhere for a weakness in the guard.

He saw one building that was particularly close to the base. It was another small, two-storey Wall Street bank at the southeast corner of the silo compound. It was far too close to the missile silo for its security. Someone could literally exit its back door and be faced with the chainlink fence. It likely got that way from the gods inadvertently moving it closer after reshaping the land. It was still too far from the silos, where their targets were.

"There's a bank at the southeast of the base. It's closer to the fence, but even further than this one from the silos," reported Morgana.

"Okay, if we can't go above ground, let's go under. We'll dig into the silo," said Atsuro.

He brought out a trio of half-lion, half-ant demons known as the Myrmecoleon. These bizarre creatures began to hollow out the basement of the strike team's bank, creating a tunnel to the underground portion of the ICBM silo. The strike team entered walkways where the silo operators could perform maintenance on the missiles. After moving to the silo closest to the barracks, Abel teleported directly to the surface and caught all three Heralds in a Seal of Bel. With them stunned, he tore into them with a Reality Fracture, straining their bodies in the lightless void.

The others reached the surface and split up to attack. Midori made a beeline for Raphael, vulnerable to her fire magic. The angel managed to evade, despite the sigil inhibiting his mobility. Raphael crossed the edge and felt lighter. Hector charged in and blitzed the angel with rapid punches. Raphael evaded as best he could, until he got popped in the chin, getting dazed. He backed away and recovered soon enough to cover up and withstand the rest.

As Ais came in to strike, Uriel raised his sword to parry. The weapons clanged and Ariel pummelled him, knocking him out past the edge of the Seal of Bel. Uriel swung his flaming sword once, spreading flame everywhere in front. Ais quickly backed away, then hopped right to escape another gout of flame. Ryu suddenly appeared behind Uriel, but he detected her presence. He turned around just in time to parry her slash. Uriel swung at her body, but Ryu hopped back to escape it.

Rye blocked one of Gabriel's strikes. His Tonitrus flared up, arcing electricity at her. She was forced back, then began to parry the rest of the bolts arcing at her. Rye spewed lighting from his sword, which Gabriel parried. Mikoto hurled Futsunushi at her, which Gabriel fled. In return, she formed an ice storm above their heads. The torrent of snow blinded Rye and Mikoto, forcing Rye to raise a Bulwark. Mikoto retreated into it to wait out the storm.

Uriel swung his weapon, casting a massive wave of flame. Ais and Ryu got singed by the tongues of red and hurled to the ground. Uriel made another swing, but Welf ran to their side and sucked the flames into his sword. Uriel intensified the flames even more to overwhelm him. Morgana came in and cast Salvation to heal both Ryu and Ais. Uriel noticed him and cast flames his way, but Morgana leapt over them and sent a tornado in return. It caught Uriel and stunned him momentarily.

Ais to sprang to life and stabbed Uriel through the stomach. Her Ariel pummelled and eventually shredded the angel completely. "Thanks for the help," said Ais.

"You're welcome. Good work on finishing him off," said Morgana.

Raphael got struck by Black Frost's fireball, getting knocked back. He righted himself in the air and whipped a raging tornado which tossed Hector and Black Frost aside. The tornado continued towards Midori, exposing a green barrier and getting bounced back. Raphael simply dissipated his own attack without moving a muscle. Black Frost recovered and launched into Raphael with a head butt to the stomach. As Raphael hurtled through the air, Bell finished charging Argonaut. He used it to empower a Firebolt sent into Raphael's heart, blowing him to smithereens.

Gabriel put the pressure on Rye with a stream of ice. He kept his shield up, weathering the chilling onslaught. With her free hand, Gabriel froze the ground beneath his feet. Rye slipped and fell, while Mikoto got blown down. When she got up, she sent Futsunushi at Gabriel, who banked backwards to evade it. Mikoto formed another one behind her, into the path of her momentum. Gabriel attempted to brake, but got trapped in the gravity. While it kept her pinned, Wiene blasted Gabriel to oblivion with Garnet Devastation.

"Yes, we did it!" said Yuzu.

"Let me heal you," said Midori, applying a Dia spell to Black Frost and Hector.

"Thank you," said Hector, rising from the ground.

"We did well, everyone. Only Michael remains," said Abel.

 **END OF CHAPTER**


	36. Rev 09 - Descent to Heaven

Disclaimer:  
DanMachi was created by Fujino Omori. Shin Megami Tensei was created by Atlus. This story uses reference material from them.

 **Demons of the Dungeon  
** **By: RB3  
** **Revelations 9: Descent to Heaven**

The Hestia party stood before a tablet just outside the barracks of the US missile base. As soon as Bell approached it, words appeared to tell the tale of what happened in the Old World. The group received a vision of the safe zone of F50. A horde of monsters had surrounded a massive black dragon. Unlike the dragon, these other monsters had eyes which glowed red with malice. The dragon spewed fire upon the horde, incinerating them by the dozen. Yet, for every one he killed, another ascended from the deeper floors to join the horde's ranks.

The vision told the group that this dragon was Tannin, who would come to be known as the One-Eyed Black Dragon in their time. Despite incinerating scores of monsters with its fiery breath, the monsters kept coming. Seeing no other escape, Tannin ascended and smashed his way through the roof, causing an avalanche of rock and crystal to bury his foes. He ascended the Dungeon, smashing through another fifty floors, eventually emerging on the surface.

He sped into the horizon, far from the pit which spawned the monsters. In his haste, he had left a hole which allowed the monsters to gain access to the surface. Some time later, a group of these monsters, goblins, approached a farming village in an unknown location. The villagers immediately fled once the first goblin pounced on a villager, drawing blood with its claws. The men grabbed whatever weapon they could find to personally battle these marauders.

Far from the bloodshed, a young lumberjack diligently worked at cutting down a tree in the forest surrounding his village. With the final stroke, the brown-haired man moved out of the way. "Timber!" he cried, before the tree collapsed.

The lumberjack looked upon his work proudly. The wind suddenly picked up and an elderly man appeared before the lumberjack. The elder was dressed in a white robe with a black cloak over it. "A god? Who are you?" asked the lumberjack.

"I am Ouranos. I have come to warn you that your village is in great danger," replied Ouranos.

"Danger, what kind? I have to help!" said the lumberjack.

"Your friends and family are being attacked by goblins. If you go as you are now, you'll be killed along with them, but there is hope. Please take my blessing before you go. Remove your shirt and I will inscribe it onto your back," said Ouranos.

The lumberjack did as asked and turned around. Ouranos pricked his finger and smeared the blood along the lumberjack's back, causing a tattoo to appear. It depicted a large cloud with strange, hieroglyph-like writing on it. The lumberjack felt lighter and stronger, far more alive than he had ever been. "That's a Falna," said Ais as she witnessed this event.

"The very first one," said Lili.

"So, he's the first adventurer, the first hero," said Bell.

The lumberjack replaced his shirt, then kneeled before Ouranos. "Thank you Lord Ouranos. I must leave to help my village now," said the lumberjack.

"Yes, good luck young man," said Ouranos. "I must go to seal the pit which spawned these aberrations."

The lumberjack ran back to his home village as fast as his legs could carry him. With his newfound speed and strength, the man reached home in but seconds. He saw a woman laying on the ground, bleeding from a cut on her leg. A goblin was approaching her, seemingly savouring the moment before it slays its prey. The lumberjack ran in and plunged his hatchet into the goblin's skull. The monster collapsed, then vanished, leaving behind a stone which contained a glowing violet light.

The man rushed to the woman's side. He ripped a piece of cloth from her dress and quickly tied it around her wound as a makeshift bandage. "Thank you. I can make it home myself. Please help the others," said the woman, who quickly took refuge in a nearby cabin.

As the lumberjack helped the people of his village, Ouranos had located the entrance of the pit which spawned the monsters. Ouranos created a translucent wall of blue light across the hole, sealing it to prevent more monsters from leaving. When the lumberjack finished driving away the monsters, he sought out Ouranos at the pit. The darkened sky started to rain, drenching the clothes of both men. "Ah, young man. What brings you here?" asked Ouranos.

"My lord, it's raining. Please come indoors. Rest and dry your clothes," said the lumberjack.

"Thank you for the offer, but I can't leave this area. I must remain to keep the pit sealed. So long as I'm here, the monsters won't be able to enter this world," replied Ouranos.

"If you can't leave, then at least allow me to help you. My friends and I can construct a shelter for you," said the lumberjack. "It's the least we can do to thank you for intervening against the goblins."

"Thank you young man. I appreciate that greatly, said Ouranos.

As the days went by, the lumberjack and his friends chopped trees and moved them over to a plot of land just northwest of the pit's entrance. Bit by bit, a log cabin took shape. Eventually, the carpenters created a stool for Ouranos, a place he could sit instead of standing constantly while he maintained the seal. Every few hours, the villagers would drop off food, such as ham and grapes, to feed the god while he maintained his vigil. Ouranos was grateful for their generosity.

As the years passed, the area changed along with the times. The cabin itself got upgraded, then torn down and rebuilt as a brick and mortar building. It took on the form of the Pantheon building of today, which housed the Guild's functions. Ouranos' throne changed from a stool to a wooden chair, then to a true throne of lacquered wood and cushions. Other buildings rose up around Ouranos vigil, changing from log cabins to brick and mortar shops and homes. Eventually, a great city, the Orario of modern times, stood around the site of Ouranos' vigil.

"Yaldabaoth also began to recover. He cursed the Dungeon, turning it into a death trap which spawned mindless Xenos. Eventually, the mindless Xenos started to escape the Dungeon and terrorize the lands of the new mortals," said Bell, reading the tablet.

"There's more," said Lili. "The sane Xenos were slaughtered by the marauding monsters. The greatest Xenos, Behemoth, Leviathan, and Tannin, guarded critical seals in the Dungeon. They fled to the surface fearing what would happen if they were to fall. The monsters followed them and began to terrorize the newly revived mortal races. Eventually, the gods returned to empower mortals with the Falna."

"Yeah, so those three great monsters were trying to escape the Dungeon and all the evil, psycho monsters," said Welf.

"...And this is where we are today," said Mikoto.

"Have the gods fully recovered yet?" asked Yuzu.

"Don't know, but it doesn't matter. We're going to take care of Yaldabaoth for them," said Bell.

"Yeah!" cheered Midori.

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The Army of Orario breached the angel lines and with the angels' fall, the Army had captured the missile base. They occupied it as their beachhead for their attack on the next floor of the Dungeon. The Hestia party followed the metal mezzanines down to the bottom of the ICBM silo and found a tunnel to F80 of the Dungeon. Unlike the previous floors, this floor's entrance was marked by a golden fence with pearl-white marble acting as corners and supports.

Past the Pearly Gates was a land of blue skies, warm golden light, and a grassy field full of white flowers. In the distance were verdant rolling hills and a single great temple at its heart. It was a structure of white marble as beautiful as the Pearly Gates. It was covered by a bubble of golden light, which sealed it and whatever was hidden there. The Hestia party decided to go to this temple to investigate.

Before the front door of the temple was an orange-skinned angel in a cuirass and armed with a spear. This angel was the last remaining of the Four Great Heralds, Michael. "Give it up, Michael. We will not allow you to restore Yaldabaoth," said Abel.

"Ah, son of man, King of Bel, so you are leading the fight against my Lord," said Michael.

"I would prefer not to, but in my travels, I have witnessed too much destruction caused by your Lord. Nanashi the Godslayer fought to stop him, and now, I will ensure that his efforts do not go to waste," said Abel.

"Your God has caused us so much suffering and even destroyed our Old World," said Bell. "Even if he is God, he must be punished for it!"

"I see this world has lost its way, strayed from the path set by our Lord. Even now, you turn our flock from the true path, that of law and peace. This a grave sin! I will restore my Lord and we will purge this world of sin!" said Michael.

A group of angels appeared at the side of Michael and advanced on the party. Michael arced lightning upon the group, but Abel redirected it towards a vacant space. He tried another blast, but Abel deflected it as well. In retort, Abel hurled a blast of ice back at Michael. The angel parried it, then swooped in. Abel blocked and instead of hitting solid matter, Michael passed through him. Abel formed a vine from his hand and snatched Michael's leg. He then hurled the angel into the distance.

A Seraph hurled holy blasts at Yog, who reflected them back. The Seraph took them full force, but was unharmed, as he was immune as well. The Seraph fired gold bullets at Yog, only to have them reflected as well. As the Seraph got pelted, Yog sent a volley of orbs to follow and scored five hits. With the angel staggered, Yog opened a white portal. Chains wreathed in white flame emerged. The Seraph flew back to evade the Chains of Aforgomon, only for Yog to teleport him back over the portal. The chains caught the Seraph and pulled him in to be disintegrated.

Scarlet appeared behind a Cherub and sent fire into his back. The angel got nudged forward. When he recovered, he turned around and fired bullets at Scarlet. She weaved around each shot, then formed an orb of darkness near the Cherub. The Cherub ascended to escape, but Scarlet chased him. Her eyes glowed pink as she gazed into the Cherub's eyes, casting a charm over him. Entranced, the Cherub remained motionless as Scarlet formed a new orb of darkness near him. It expanded and engulfed him, dissolving the Cherub.

"There's more behind us!" cried Rye, bashing a Power in the face with his shield. He then formed a Bulwark barrier to block a Virtue's ball lightning from hitting the supporters.

"On it," said Atsuro.

Atsuro leapt at the Virtue, who in turn hurled ball lightning at him. Atsuro simply absorbed them on the way up, then landed a punch to the face. Atsuro landed on his feet while the Virtue crashed to the ground, smashing a crater into it. The Virtue tried to get up, but only got to his knees before Atsuro ran in and kicked him into the air. Atsuro caught his leg and tossed him at the Power who stared down Rye. The two angels crashed into a heap which Tulzcha ignited with Verdigris Flame, burning them all to ash.

Viola parried an Archangel's sword, preventing him from reaching Lili. Viola then thrust for his stomach, but the Archangel banked right and thrust back in retort. Viola moved aside and threw a kick to his chin. She followed by hurling a blast of wind which sent him back further. After firing an icy blast, she had frozen the angel solid. Orochi lunged at him and bit off the top half of his body. "Thank you Viola and Orochi," said Lili.

Lili fired Mind Arrows at a Power. The Power blocked them with his shield, but one slipped over the shield's top and impaled him in the neck fatally. Haruhime fired dark bolts at a Dominion, who evaded left. The Dominion opened his book, letting holy energy shoot out from the pages. Rye ran before her and put up a Bulwark, stopping the attack from harming her. Haruhime's Ill Wyvern pounced on the Dominion, biting into his neck and tearing it out fatally.

Away from the main battle, Michael blasted Abel with lightning. The King of Bel blocked, trying to dissipate the attack. Michael followed with a Megido spell to the ground. A massive explosion tore through the land, sweeping Abel off the ground and sending him into the Pearly Gates. He tore it to pieces as he smashed through, leaving only a hole, rubble, and bent gold in his wake. Michael closed and created a holy cross beneath him. Before it could erupt with divine light, Abel teleported to safety.

He formed a Seal of Bel beneath his foe. Michael noticed the sigil appear and quickly zipped away. Abel fired ice at him, but Michael banked left. The Seal of Bel triggered, causing Michael to feel a sudden loss of strength and mobility. Michael fired a beam of holy power, but Abel teleported away. When he reappeared behind, Abel hurled more ice, which Michael escaped by ascending. The Seal of Bel triggered again, sapping even more of Michael's strength and mobility.

Abel caught his leg with a vine, then whipped him into the Seal of Bel. Michael hit the ground hard enough to crack it, yet the sigil remained intact, along with its effects. Now within the sigil, it could constrict and bind Michael. Abel blasted Michael with ice until he slumped to one knee, beginning to buckle under the hypothermic onslaught. "You may have defeated me, but you will not prevail. With the last of my life, I free my Lord!" said Michael.

Michael's body crumbled, releasing a steam of golden light to the barrier sealing the temple. "Crap!" cursed Abel.

The barrier vanished instantly and the ground started to shake. "Whoa!" said Welf, trying to maintain his footing.

"Oh no!" said Yuzu, seeing that the barrier was no longer present.

"We have no choice now. We have to beat him!" said Bell.

Abel teleported back to rejoin the others. "Are you okay?" asked Yuzu as she hugged Abel.

"It got rough, but yeah," replied Abel. "Michael sacrificed himself to free the Shard of Divinity. It's going to revive and become Yaldabaoth. Let's get ready."

The combined Hestia party nodded. After using potions to heal wounds and recover their mind, the group set foot into the marble temple which sealed the Shard of Divinity. The interior of the Shrine of the Demiurge resembled the vast void of space, expanding infinitely outward filled with glimmering stars. A six-foot tall shard of golden crystal hovered in the centre of this void. It transformed into the gigantic golden head of a bald man. Several smaller duplicates of the golden head, no larger than a human, appeared and surrounded the team.

"So, you've entered my presence, you who have been led astray by the false gods," said the head. "I am YHVH, the Infinite, the Supreme Being. You dare to trample upon my design?"

"We've seen your 'design' and want nothing of it!" said Bell.

"Mankind is weak. You are not equipped to walk your own path. Without my guidance, you will be led astray and repeat your mistakes," said YHVH.

"We got this far only because we stood together and supported each other. If we stick together, we can find the way," said Lili.

"Nonsense! I'll have to replace mankind once I've defeated you," said YHVH.

The Hestia party split up to tackle the swarm of YHVH heads. The main head cast the Luster Candy spell, summoning orbs of the primary colours of light into his being. He did so again, boosting his raw power even further. Abel extended his hands and extracted those orbs from YHVH's being, then waved his hands and spread the enhancement spell over his allies. He then jetted ice at YHVH's main head, who withstood it with little damage.

Bell fired Firebolts at the main head, who simply withstood the attacks. YHVH sped up to ram him, overshooting when Bell hopped out of the way. Bell moved to YHVH's rear and threw a roundhouse kick, bumping YHVH forward, though he was otherwise unfazed. YHVH turned around and blew a wave of golden power, which Bell prepared to parry. The sheer force of the wave bowled him over, but Bell quickly hopped back to his feet. YHVH sprayed ice at him, but Abel teleported into the ice's path to absorb it.

Lili noticed heads approaching from the left flank. She lobbed Firebolt arrows at them, destroying three. "Watch the left!" said Lili.

"On it!" said Rye.

"Coming!" said Wiene.

The three heads on the left flank breathed lightning upon Rye and Lili. Rye rushed forward to meet them and raised the Bulwark to protect Lili from their assault. Wiene sent a Garnet Devastation upon them, blowing all the heads to nothingness. Five heads gathered to replace them. Wiene shot one down with Garnet Blasts. Rye discharged his Tonitrus aura from his sword, destroying two of the heads. Lili charged an arrow with Riveria's Wynn Fimbulvetr spell, causing it to start to swirl with ice in preparation to be fired.

Rye blocked one head's attempt to charge. He swung back in retaliation, cutting it across the forehead and driving it back. Wiene fired Garnet Blasts at the second and third, keeping them from building up momentum. "Hurry!" said Rye, blocking another attempt to ram him from the second and third heads.

"Ready," said Lili, loading the arrow, then firing at the gathered heads. The arrows exploded in a vortex of ice and snow, freezing all three in one fell swoop. Wiene pelted them with Garnet Blasts until they shattered.

Nearby, another five heads expelled air blasts at Haruhime. Welf stepped in and absorbed them into his upright sword, dissipating them harmlessly. The heads charged at him. He leapt up and impaled the first in the forehead. The second attempted to slip by, but Welf's wide swing caught its temple, causing it to veer off. The third got past him, but Haruhime shot it with a dark bolt, forcing it to retreat. Welf leapt onto the fourth and impaled it, then hopped to the third and kicked it.

The wounded heads regrouped and inhaled in preparation for an attack. "Now!" cried Welf.

Haruhime released a Kusanagi upon the heads. The flaming swords rained upon the heads, setting them on fire. Two perished immediately. In a panic, the third head rammed into Welf, knocking him to the ground, but coating him with Foxfire. He quickly rebounded and leapt back at it, impaling it the forehead. The wound spread more Foxfire across the head, eventually incinerating it. The fourth came in, but Welf chopped it in half with one swing. The fifth gathered electricity, but Welf struck it with Will O' Wisp, setting off a fatal explosion.

YHVH cast a powerful Megido spell, triggering a devastating explosion of violet energy. Bell, Abel, and his demons got hurled to the ground in its wake. YHVH cast the Dekaja spell, causing a dark grey wave of energy to wash over his foes. The effects of the stolen Luster Candy vanished. "Stay strong!" said Morgana, casting a Salvation to heal them in sparkles of white light.

"Thank you, Morgana," said Bell, rising to his knees.

"Yeah, we'll pay him back for that," said Abel. He formed a Seal of Bel upon the ground. The sheer presence of it weakened YHVH, acting like the Debilitate spell, the opposite of Luster Candy.

Five heads flew close to defend the main one, but Abel called a blizzard into being. Its icy touch froze the heads. Yog pummelled three of them with a blitz of orbs. He then opened a portal into whiteness. The Chains of Aforgomon latched on and dragged them in. Scarlet appeared behind the fourth and blasted it with flame. The head got knocked forward, into the path of an oncoming chain, which caught it and dragged it in. Mao chopped the last, staggering it, and causing it to get snatched by a chain and dragged in.

The blizzard also froze the main head, incapacitating YHVH momentarily. Bell had charged an Argonaut, waiting for this very moment. Moving at great speeds, he disappeared and in the blink of an eye, was leaping towards YHVH's forehead. He plunged the Hestia Knife into YHVH's forehead. YHVH screamed in agony before exploding in a storm of countless golden shards. Bell fell to the ground, wounded from being slashed by one of the shards.

From the appearance of the wound, the shard had passed through a non-vital area, only causing a large gash. Morgana and Scarlet worked their magic on the wound, sealing it rapidly. "Did we win?" asked Yuzu.

"Look!" said Atsuro.

The scattered fragments of YHVH began to melt and started to flow into four separate pools. The first formed a strange entity which resembled a pale green sun surrounded by a ring of faces. The second formed a single blue eyeball which wore a crown and glowed with divine golden light. The third was simply a living orange sun. The fourth was a black-skinned angel with ten iridescent wings and four eyes. This fourth entity looked like the most powerful of the group.

They were the Names of God, Sabaoth, Shaddai, and Elohim respectively. The last was the Demiurge, Yaldabaoth himself. "It's not over yet," said Midori.

"We'll defeat him, just like we did the first time," said Ais.

"Ais, stay away from Sabaoth, he can reflect wind attacks," warned Morgana.

Shaddai fired a lightning bolt from its iris. Ais weaved around it, then came in for a strike. Shaddai shifted away, then turned its paralysing gaze onto Ais. The Sword Princess was stopped in her tracks, trying to fight through the magical effect and keep moving. Midori hurled flames at Shaddai, setting it on fire. Shaddai winced in pain, forced to break its gaze and release Ais. Cait Sith trapped it within a tornado, leaving it vulnerable.

Hector closed and proceeded to pummel the eye with rapid punches. "A-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA! WATA!" screamed Hector in time with his blows. Shaddai got launched into the air and landed a distance away with a thud. He vanished in sparkles of golden light.

Ryu evaded a blast of flame from Elohim. She ran in, but Elohim released a blast of fire. She zipped away, then vanished and reappeared behind and pummelled it with Luminous Wind. Yuzu joined the attack by forming a tornado to amplify Luminous Wind. Elohim got slammed to the ground, yet floated back up. Vidofnir fired lighting at it, but it fought through the electricity and dispersed it. It retaliated by raining fire over the team. Yuzu raised a barrier where she, her demons, and Ryu took cover.

Atsuro punched Sabaoth, knocking it to the ground. It rose and hurled tornadoes at him, forcing him to block and retreat. Mikoto slipped in during the distraction and chopped one of the faces in half. It sent a tornado at her, sucking her in and lifting her into the air. As she spun around, she noticed that the winds carried her by the tornado's edge at regular, three-second intervals. The next time she came close, she created Futsunushi outside, which drew her out of the tornado and caused her to orbit it.

Bell sent a Firebolt at Yaldabaoth. The Demiurge closed his wings in defence, allowing the Firebolt to explode on them harmlessly. Yaldabaoth flapped a gust of wind at Bell, blowing him to the ground. Ais ran into the fray on a beeline for the forehead. Yaldabaoth closed his wings again, letting them blunt the force of her blade. He flung his wings out, which knocked Ais back, but she landed on her feet. Yaldabaoth followed by calling a massive, fiery ball of energy, the Antichthon spell, to descend to the ground.

A massive explosion swept over the space, blowing Bell and Ais to the ground. It travelled outward and bowled over Abel and his demons. Welf rushed forward and tried to absorb the power of it, but it overwhelmed and bowled him over. Not only were the they hurt, the spell had sapped their overall power, making them feel weaker and heavier, as though affected by the Debilitate spell. With his foes so weakened and sprawled on the ground, Yaldabaoth prepared to cast another.

"This is the end for you, sinners!" cried Yaldabaoth, as he formed a massive fiery orb, charging the Antichthon spell with as much power as he could muster for the finishing blow.

Welf managed to get to his feet, then squeezed out a Will O' Wisp at the orb. Antichthon exploded prematurely with such force as to stagger the Demiurge. Abel gestured with his hand, extracting the Debilitate orbs from himself and the other victims of Antichthon. He cast the orbs into Yaldabaoth, severely weakening him. Abel then teleported behind him and formed the Seal of Bel beneath his feet. The sigil eroded the Demiurge's power further and kept him bound to the location and unable to escape.

Abel tore open five Reality Fractures which crisscrossed over Yaldabaoth. Yaldabaoth fought through the effect, keeping it from ripping him to pieces. It took so much effort that he could not continue his attack. "Now, finish it!" cried Abel.

Ais and Bell, who had risen to their feet, nodded. They ran at top speed towards the Demiurge, impaling his forehead with an Ariel-powered Desperate and an Argonaut-powered Hestia Knife. Yaldabaoth's head exploded, taking the rest of his body with it and hurling the two adventurers into the ground. They were unconscious and bleeding profusely from numerous wounds sustained from being so close to the explosion's source.

"Bell!" cried Lili, as she rushed to tend to him.

 **END OF CHAPTER**


	37. Rev 10 - Homecoming

Disclaimer:  
DanMachi was created by Fujino Omori. Shin Megami Tensei was created by Atlus. This story uses reference material from them.

 **Demons of the Dungeon  
** **By: RB3  
** **Revelations 10: Homecoming**

A week had passed and light shined into Bell's eye. He awoke in a sterile white room, on a bed in what was likely a hospital. He was near a window, the source of the light coming into his room. There was a table full of gifts from all of the people he had met in his career as an adventurer. The central gift was the largest. It was a fruit basket signed by members of the Hestia Familia, the Loki Familia, the Survivors, and the Babelites. It contained a variety of fruit ranging from apples to bananas as well as jars of jam, crackers, and cheese.

There was a card from Maria's Orphanage and the Kratos Familia, telling Bell to get better soon. The Hostess of Fertility had given him a bouquet of flowers to decorate his hospital room, as did the Hermes and Loki Familia. The Take Mikazuchi and Hecate Familia gave him a set of herbal teas to help Bell recover more quickly. On closer inspection, Bell noticed that the table that carried all these items had a card. On it, Ouranos and the Guild wrote a message to tell him that the table was their gift and to get well soon.

"Thanks guys!" said Bell in his mind.

He noticed a bed across the room with an open privacy curtain. Ais was sitting on the bed, in a hospital gown like he was. She also had a table filled with gifts, many of which came from people who were also friends with Bell. "Hi," said Ais.

"Oh, hi," said Bell.

"We did it, didn't we?" asked Ais.

"It sure looks like it," replied Bell.

A group of people came into the room. They were members of the Hestia and Loki Familia, as well as Abel and Morgana, who had come to visit Bell and Ais during their recovery. "Oh Bell, you're awake!" said Hestia. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better, but I'm still sore all over," replied Bell.

"We're glad you're okay. When you didn't respond, we feared the worst," said Lili.

"Yeah, we thought Yaldabaoth got in one last cheap shot before he kicked the bucket," said Welf.

"Yaldabaoth put you two in a coma for two weeks. The doctor wants to keep you a bit longer for rest and recovery. He said you and Ais can leave by the end of next week," said Haruhime.

"Good," replied Bell. "Ow! It still hurts!"

"Abel, now that you and Morgana are done here, will you be leaving soon?" asked Haruhime.

"Not quite yet, at least for us Babelites. We're staying a bit longer for cleanup duty. We were talking about it and decided that we'd like to squeeze in at least last joint expedition with the Loki Familia before people start heading home," said Abel. "Don't worry, we'll wait until both of you are good and fully recovered before we head down there."

"Cool!" said Bell.

After another week under the doctor's care, Bell and Ais were finally released from the hospital. When they first saw how Orario had changed since their absence, they saw a city working its hardest to recover from the destruction brought about by war. Numerous construction workers hammered away, erecting new stores and houses to replace the lost ones. The rubble from Babel Tower's collapse was being loaded into carts and hauled from the square. The Dungeon's ground level entrance was being uncovered, allowing novice adventurers to finally return to work.

As the weeks led up to the joint expedition, Bell returned to training in the Babelite colosseum. He stood before Welf in preparation to spar. Welf made the first strike, which Bell parried. Bell slipped out from under the blade, then flanked right and aimed a slash at his stomach. Welf parried it, then Bell retreated and moved around to the lefts for another strike. Welf noticed and easily parried the blow, then kicked Bell back. "You've gotten rusty, Bell," remarked Welf. "I guess you can't help it, being stuck in the hospital and all."

When the expedition was ready to depart, it gathered outside of the Babelite portals at the Big Dipper Soup House in F75. "Welcome friends, to the bottom of the Dungeon," said Finn. "We're here to train, but most importantly, we're going to complete an important quest. Tell them, Lord Abel."

"We're here to retrieve relics from the Old World," stated Abel. "After the nuclear war, the gods buried the Old World in the deepest parts of the Dungeon. There is a gold mine of information down here that scholars and researchers would pay big money to get their hands on. Be warned that the monsters here are Lv8, while most of you will be Lv7 or below. They're strong and travel in packs, but do have a fatal weakness. Strike one of their pressure points and they explode messily. Enjoy!"

After a round of enhancing and protective spells, the Familia involved travelled further into the ruined North Star City. Once they reached the centre of the city, they heard the revving of engines coming towards them from another neighbourhood. In the distance, the motorcycles of a biker gang kicked up a massive cloud of dust and smoke as they sped toward the team. Abel put a Seal of Bel into their path. The motorcycles blundered into it and were slowed down greatly.

The expedition ran forward to meet them with Bell leaping at one. On the way past, he slashed the biker three times, taking the Mohawk off of his ride. After the biker got up, he faced off with Bell. Bell evaded a lash of the chain, letting it crack the ground harmlessly. Bell lunged, stabbing the monster in the chest with the Hestia Knife. Bell then jabbed the monster in the forehead, which caused it to stumble back. The Mohawk's head swelled greatly, then exploded.

Wiene blasted the Mohawk back line with Garnet Blasts, setting off numerous explosions which staggered the gang. One of the Mohawks closed with Morgana and tried to lash him. Morgana evaded the chain, then hurled a tornado, whipping the Mohawk around and into the air. The attack left him dazed and disoriented. He then had Zorro throw Miracle Punches to the Mohawk's heart and forehead. Moments later, a lump formed on both locations, then the Mohawk's head exploded, followed by the rest of his body.

Riveria completed the chant for a Wynn Fimbulvetr spell, which sent a wave of ice to wash over the Mohawk gang. They were encased in crystalline shells and immobilized. As the Hiryute sisters cut them down, Bete jump kicked one in the forehead. The Mohawk's head started to swell. He clutched his head in agony, desperately trying to relieve the pain until his head exploded in a fountain of black blood. "These guys act tough, but they're just weaklings," said Bete.

Tiona cut a Mohawk's biceps, then swung Urga's other end into his heart. She leapt back and watched as the pressure built up and the swelling began. The Mohawk's biceps hemorrhaged like a fountain, followed by his torso. "They sure die gruesomely though," said Tiona.

Lili shot the last Mohawk in the forehead. After three seconds, he clutched his swelling head before it exploded. "Good work, everyone," said Abel.

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The expedition found a relatively intact mall in the south part of North Star City. Appropriately, it was called the Southern Mall. The expedition cased the mall, checking for places where monsters or Mohawk biker gang members could be hiding. They found none and so began to search for items from the Old World. Atsuro, Raul, Finn, Riveria, and Gareth passed a store called Raul's Home Improvement, which featured the slogan, "more power," on its sign.

"Hey Raul, that's your store!" remarked Finn.

"More power? I'd like to have that," remarked Raul.

"What kind of things will we find here?" Gareth asked Atsuro.

"Oh, these things are for building and repairing homes," replied Atsuro. He took them a tour of the big box store, which was stocked with shelves of items for home improvement. "They have tools, bricks, cement, paint, you name it, they probably have it."

"Orario is trying to rebuild, so the items here would be highly prized by the masons and carpenters," remarked Riveria.

"I'll take a few things back home," said Atsuro, who loaded some cement, bricks, and wood in his comp's dimensional storage facility.

After clearing out Raul's Home Improvement, they followed Atsuro into a nearby electronics store and started browsing the inventory. The store had a variety of items such as hard disks, thumb drives, graphics cards, and central processing units, all in wrapped in plastic in their original boxes. "What's all this stuff?" asked Riveria.

"These are all parts and accessories for computers," replied Atsuro, looking at a graphics card's specs.

"A computer?" asked Riveria.

"Yep, it's like an electronic brain. You run programs on it and it does stuff for you, like calculation or gathering information. You can even play games on it, something I like to do often," replied Atsuro. "For example, you could keep track of your Familia's finances with one."

"Sounds like a very versatile item," remarked Finn.

"Oh yeah!" replied Atsuro. "We use them all the time in our society. I can build one from the parts here, but the problem will be how to power it."

"What does it use for power?" asked Finn.

"Electricity," replied Atsuro.

"We could send some lightning magic into it," said Gareth.

"No, that would fry the thing," said Atsuro. "We'll think of something once we get back topside."

Gareth opened one of the boxes which contained motherboard. He looked at the complicated, metallic circuitry and wires which around and out of the motherboard. It had a slot for installing a part which was the size of a postage stamp. "Look how intricate these parts are. I wonder if our smiths could build something so fine," remarked Gareth.

"Probably not. In our world, we needed special machines to make these things. You really can't do it by hand. It's just too small for that," said Atsuro.

Meanwhile, Yuzu, Haruhime, Wiene, and Lili found a cosmetics store in the Southern Mall. There were shelves full of cleaning and beauty products such as make-up, soap bars, shampoo bottles, and perfume bottles. Yuzu brought them inside to browse the wares. "What are these things?" asked Wiene.

"Cosmetics, bath products," replied Yuzu.

"I can't read the label, but this looks like soap," said Lili, taking a bar out of a basket.

"Yep, it is," replied Yuzu.

"Mikoto would have died and gone to heaven if she came here with us. I'm gonna take some back home. I'm sure she'd appreciate getting them as a present," said Haruhime, who started to load her backpack with items from the store.

Midori, Bell, Ais, Welf, and Morgana entered a hobby store filled with comic books, manga, light novels, video games, and anime discs on its shelves. "Oh wow! Look at all this stuff!" said Midori. She picked up one book which depicted a silver, almost robotic humanoid firing a beam at a dragon-like creature.

"What is this place?" asked Ais.

"It's a hobby store," replied Morgana. "You can buy books with fantastic stories like superheroes and exploring space. I'm sure the kids in Orario would love to get their hands on this stuff."

"You think Rye would like this too?" asked Welf.

"I'm sure he would! Let's take some home for him," said Morgana. "Hey Bell, I'm sure you'd love it too."

"I would?" asked Bell.

"Of course. You love myths and stories of heroes, don't you?" asked Morgana.

"Sure," replied Bell.

"There are people in my world who make a career out of creating stuff like this to entertain people. They sometimes base their work on myths and legends," said Morgana.

Midori picked a video game off the shelf called "Dragon Slayer 3." The box art depicted an armoured hero in battle with a powerful dragon. The blurb on the back described the game as a hero going on a quest to gather six orbs of different colours. They were needed so the hero had the ability to battle the demon lord Barbatos and save the world. The pictures on the back depicted the hero wandering through towns and forests. The game had graphics from the 8-bit era of gaming, very simplistic with grid-like game maps.

"You might like this game, Bell," said Midori, showing him Dragon Slayer 3.

"You play a hero going out to slay a demon," said Bell. "Okay, that sounds interesting."

"I'll take a copy and something to play it with," said Midori. She checked Dragon Slayer 3's box, which indicated that it was a game for the Gamer System 1, which the store had in its used games display case. Midori loaded all of the items into her comp's dimensional storage facility.

The group went searching for more interesting items and found the manga and light novel shelves. Morgana found one light novel known as "Massively Multiplayer." It was the story of a VR game player who gets trapped in a game due to the machinations of an insane programmer. To escape, he and the other trapped players had to beat the game. The catch was that the game had real death. If they died in the game, the VR equipment the players were using would fry their brains, causing the death of their physical bodies.

"What cha reading there little kitty?" asked Welf.

"Oh, this is Massively Multiplayer," replied Morgana. "It looks interesting. I'm taking a copy back."

Meanwhile, Abel, Lefiya, Bete, and Ryu found a supermarket. The shelves were filled with items such as fresh produce, raw meat, and boxes of snacks and candy. "This looks like a grocery store," said Ryu. "So this is what they look like in your world."

"Yep," replied Abel. "Stores like these are where we buy our food. It's not too different from what you have here. People from the Old World and mine have varied tastes, so we have larger markets to serve them."

"I see many of the same fruits we have back in Orario... Oranges, apples, grapes..." said Lefiya.

Bete was looking at all the meat in the butcher's section of the supermarket. "Mmm, that sure looks tasty," remarked Bete.

"Ah, so you're a meat lover," remarked Abel.

"Oh yeah! Gotta have my protein! That way, I can get big and strong," said Bete.

"Do you? In my world, we have more ways of getting protein than just meat. We have special milkshakes that you can drink for more protein," said Abel. "Those things tend to be used by bodybuilders and athletes. It's perfect for adventurers like yourselves, since you're so active. We might be able to get some in this store."

"Hey, I think I see them," said Lefiya, pointing to a shelf full of protein drinks in plastic bottles.

"I can't detect anything wrong with them, so care to have a sample?" asked Abel.

"Sure!" said Bete.

Abel showed the group three different flavours of shakes, which were vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry. Bete took a vanilla bottle while Lefiya and Ryu took one strawberry each, and Abel took a chocolate one. "Cheers!" said Abel, raising his bottle in a toast with the others, then enjoying a round of protein shakes.

"Mmm, this tastes just like a normal milkshake," remarked Ryu.

"I'll take some back. The Kratos Familia would especially love to get their hands on these things," said Abel.

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The next building over was a bookstore, filled with hardcover books and magazines. The Hiryute sisters decided to browse the books for information. Eventually, they came across the magazine rack. One of the magazines was a news magazine with pictures of current events in colour photo. Though they could not read it, they found an article on the latest Olympic Games. It featured a picture of the Hiryute sisters as a pair of tennis-playing sisters. They had gold medals around their necks.

"Look Tiona!" said Tione. "That's us. We were around back then too!"

"Oh wow! We played sports back then," said Tiona.

"Hey ladies, what's going on?" asked Abel as he entered the bookstore.

"We just found a magazine with our pictures on it. It says we won gold medals at the Olympic games for tennis," said Tione.

"That's great! Your past selves were very famous. To win at the Olympics means you're among the best athletes the world could produce," said Abel.

Bete, Lefiya, and Ryu entered the bookstore and looked at the wares on the shelves. "We need to find things about current events in the Old World. I suppose this is where we'll find them?" asked Ryu.

"Yeah, books, magazines, and newspapers have things like that," replied Abel. "Here's one..."

Abel picked up a news magazine called "History in the Making." It chronicled some of the events that happened before nuclear war broke out in the Old World. Its headline spoke about the US violating a cease fire agreement it had signed with Russia and the other European nations. The US had put tanks, artillery, and troops along the Ukraine-Poland border and fired upon pro-independence guerrillas fighting in Ukraine. This incident was a prelude to the nuclear weapons being fired from Cyber Gear Rexes in Ukraine.

"Here's some of the events which led up to the nuclear weapons being launched," said Abel. He stored the magazine in his comp's dimension storage.

"Here's a map of the Old World," said Lefiya.

"Yes, that's a political map. Here is the Ukraine. From there, the US fired nuclear weapons into Russia up there," said Abel, pointing to the nations on the eastern side of the map.

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After the expedition, everyone submitted the items they for the Guild quest, then returned home. In the Hestia Hall, the Familia gathered around Morgana to bid him their final goodbyes before returning home. "Now that Morgana is leaving, he will not need his Falna. I will transfer it into Ojos Azules," said Abel. "You can use it to activate a weaker copy of his skills."

Abel held the dagger in one hand and touched the palm of the other to Morgana's back. His Falna peeled off and attached itself to the silver dagger. Abel presented this weapon to Hestia. "Thank you Abel," said Hestia.

"It was really fun going on adventures with you. I'm going to miss you all!" said Morgana.

Morgana hugged each member of the Hestia Familia, finishing with the goddess herself. "I wish you could stay, but I know you have friends waiting back home," said Hestia.

"Yeah, but who knows? Maybe one day, I'll come back and visit. I'll bring my friends over and introduce them to you," said Morgana.

"I would love that. I'll tell them how you became the mascot of my Familia," said Hestia.

Morgana grimaced. "Yeah, stay safe. Good bye," said Morgana.

After waving to each other, Abel escorted Morgana to the Babelite base, where Morgana said his farewells to the Survivors and Babelite soldiers. "Good bye," said Atsuro.

"Yeah stay safe," said Midori. "We'll miss you."

"Thanks guys, when I get back, I'm going to have so many stories to tell my friends!" said Morgana.

After Morgana waved to them, Abel opened a portal. Once Morgana stepped through it, he found himself on the streets of Tokyo at noon, in the form of a cat. The city was just as he remembered it with the crowded buildings and narrow alleys between buildings. There was a park just a few metres ahead of the alley he was in. Judging from the skyline and the features, it was Yoyogi Park, which meant that he was in Shibuya.

As he navigated the tight city streets, he noticed a newscast on a TV set in an electronics store. It was February 13, just a day before Valentine's Day. "Whoa! I've been gone for almost two months. I've got to head back immediately!" said Morgana.

Since he was in Shibuya, he knew the way home from here and took the subway until he reached the side streets near Café Le Blanc. "I wanna see Mona again," said a nerdy girl with orange-brown hair inside the café.

Morgana entered the café, triggering the door bell, and found all of his friends seated at the tables. "Huh? That was quick Boss..." said an aggressive boy with bleached hair, Ryuji.

"Someone called for me?" asked Morgana.

"Mona?" asked Ryuji.

"What are you doing here?" asked a lovely girl with blonde hair, Ann. "I mean, didn't you disappear?"

"I did, kinda... You won't believe what I've been through," replied Morgana. "After I vanished, I flew through this strange place called the Expanse and ended up in a place called Orario in my Phantom Thief form. I joined a group called the Hestia Familia and met all sorts of people like Abel, Bell, and Hestia. We went into the Dungeon to fight monsters."

"So, all this time, you were on an adventure?" asked a brunette with bob haircut, Makoto.

"Why didn't you come back sooner?" asked Ryuji.

"I would if I could. It may be two months for you, but for me it was nearly two years!" said Morgana. "It seemed a greater power had a purpose in mind for me showing up in Orario. Not only did I fight monsters, I fought demons too. You know that Dungeon? Well, it was just one big prison to lock in a shard of Yaldabaoth. Every Familia in the world banded together to defeat it and restore peace."

"Matters are finally back to normal," said a blue-haired boy with a baritone voice, Yusuke.

"We're all here. Let's get this party started!" said Ryuji.

"Yeah! Give me sushi!" demanded Morgana.

 **END OF CHAPTER**


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